in architecture, a decorative projection having the form of a prism and arranged in rows, one above the other. The name derives from the stalactites that form in caves. Stalactites are characteristic of medieval architecture of Arab countries, Iran, and Middle Asia. They usually were used to form cornices on pendentives, semidomes, and niches.
a sinter-drip, usually limestone formation that hangs from the ceilings and upper walls of karst caves and has the shape of an icicle, pipe, comb, or fringe. Stalactites occur as the result of the precipitation of calcium carbonate when carbon dioxide is removed from carbonate-saturated water. Gypsum and salt stalactites formed through evaporation are sometimes found.