Encaustic tile

The use of the word encaustic to describe an inlaid tile of two or more colors is linguistically incorrect.

The word encaustic, from the Ancient Greek: ἐγκαυστικός, means 'burning in', from ἐν, en, 'in', and καίειν, kaiein, 'to burn'.

Despite the error, the term has now been in common use for so long that it is an accepted name for inlaid tile work.

Companies in the United States also made encaustic tile during the Gothic Revival architecture style's period.

[4] In both the Middle Ages and in the 19th and 20th century Gothic Revival, tiles were most often made for and laid in churches.