Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Tessera"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Tessera \Tes"se*ra\, n.; pl. {Tesser[ae]}. [L., a square piece,
a die. See {Tessellar}.]
A small piece of marble, glass, earthenware, or the like,
having a square, or nearly square, face, used by the ancients
for mosaic, as for making pavements, for ornamenting walls,
and like purposes; also, a similar piece of ivory, bone,
wood, etc., used as a ticket of admission to theaters, or as
a certificate for successful gladiators, and as a token for
various other purposes. --Fairholt.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
tessera
n : a small square tile of stone or glass used in making mosaics
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