tessera Definition
- 1a small square piece of stone, glass, or other material used in ancient Greece and Rome to make a mosaic
- 2a ticket or token used as a means of identification or control, especially one that serves as a permit for entry or exit
- 3a password or watchword
Using tessera: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "tessera" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The museum displayed a collection of tesserae from ancient Roman mosaics.
Example
The conference attendees were given a tessera as their admission ticket.
Example
The security guard asked for my tessera before allowing me to enter the restricted area.
Example
The tessera for the Wi-Fi network was changed every week for security reasons.
tessera Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with tessera
tessera hospitalis
a token given to guests in ancient Greece as a symbol of hospitality
Example
The tessera hospitalis was a sign of mutual respect between the host and the guest.
Example
The refugees had to provide tesserae of identity to the authorities in order to receive assistance.
tessera sanitatis
a token given to pilgrims in medieval times as a certificate of good health
Example
The tessera sanitatis allowed the pilgrims to travel without being quarantined or rejected by the authorities.
Origins of tessera
from Greek 'téssares', meaning 'four'
Summary: tessera in Brief
The term 'tessera' [ˈtɛsərə] refers to a small square piece of material used in ancient Greece and Rome to make mosaics, or a ticket or token used for identification or control. It can also mean a password or watchword. Examples include 'The museum displayed a collection of tesserae from ancient Roman mosaics.' and 'The security guard asked for my tessera before allowing me to enter the restricted area.' Phrases like 'tessera hospitalis' and 'tessera sanitatis' denote tokens used in ancient Greece and medieval times, respectively.
