noun
stalactite
A geological formation hanging from the ceiling of a cave, formed by mineral deposits. Often contrasted with 石筍 (stalagmite).
See also: 石筍
鍾乳洞には大きな鍾乳石がいくつも垂れ下がっていた。
In the limestone cave, many large stalactites were hanging down.
Standard kanji spelling for stalactite.
Irregular kanji variant; 鐘 (bell) is sometimes used instead of 鍾 (cluster), but this spelling is non-standard.
From Chinese 鍾乳石, literally 'bell-breast stone', referring to the shape of stalactites. The kanji 鍾 means 'cluster' or 'gather', and 乳 means 'breast' or 'milk', evoking the dripping formation.