tessera

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtɛs(ə)rə/

noun (plural tesserae /-riː/)

  • a small block of stone, tile, glass, or other material used in the construction of a mosaic: Roman remains including tesserae have been found
  • (in ancient Greece and Rome) a small tablet of wood or bone used as a token.

Derivatives

tesseral

adjective

Origin:

mid 17th century: via Latin from Greek, neuter of tesseres, variant of tessares 'four'