ppl. a. [f. L. tessellāt-us or It. tessellato in same sense, with Eng. suffix. Used earlier than TESSELLATE v., of which it subseq. became the pa. pple.]
1. Composed of small blocks of variously colored material arranged to form a pattern; formed of or ornamented with mosaic work.
1712. Hearne, Collect. (O.H.S.), III. 311. The tessellated Pavenient at Stansfield.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., Tessellated pavement, pavimentum Tessellatum, a rich pavement of mosaic work, made of curious small square marbles, bricks or tyles, called tesselæ, from the form of dies.
1877. C. Geikie, Christ, lxii. (1879), 758. The old golden seat of Archelaus, was set down in the tesselated floor of the tribunal.
fig. 1828. Macaulay, Misc. Writ. (1860), I. 224. Laborious and tesselated imitations of Mason and Gray.
1864. Sat. Rev., 31 Dec., 789. The fall of a dovetailed and tesselated Cabinet.
1868. Gladstone, Juv. Mundi, xiv. § 1 (1869), 490. The several squares of that tesselated nation, each with its local patriotism and limited traditions.
2. Combined or arranged so as to form a mosaic.
1838–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., IV. IV. v. § 51. 253. The mind is pleased to recognise the tesselated fragments of Ovid and Tibullus.
1853. C. L. Brace, Home Life Germany, 116. The floors are, in most instances, of the most minutely tesselated marble, of all varieties of color.
3. transf. Consisting of or arranged in small cubes or squares; in Bot. and Zool. having colors or surface-divisions in regularly arranged squares or patches; chequered, reticulated.
Tessellated cells, cells arranged in layers. Tessellated epithelium, pavement epithelium (PAVEMENT sb. 4). Tessellated pyrites, iron pyrites, crystallizing in cubes.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, iv. (1723), 198. Crystallized Ores, and Minerals, e. g. … the tessellated Pyritæ, or Ludus Paracelsi.
1777. Watson, in Phil. Trans., LXVIII. 866. A very pure specimen of tessellated lead ore.
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. 60 (Quiet Gentlew.). A bit of white mosaic, a tessellated quilt.
1829. Loudon, Encycl. Pl. (1836), 113. Fruit … a fleshy tesselated berry.
1839. Darwin, Voy. Nat., v. 97. The apar [armadillo] … having only three moveable bands; the rest of its tesselated covering being nearly inflexible.
1854. Pereira’s Pol. Light, 237. What Dr. Brewster has termed tesselated or composite crystals … consist of several crystals … united so as to form a compound crystal.
1875. Sir W. Turner, in Encycl. Brit., I. 847/1. Tessellated … or squamous epithelium is situated on the free surface of the mucous lining of the mouth.
