This section is from the book "The Home Cyclopedia Of General Information", by Charles Morris. Also available from Amazon: Home Cyclopedia of Necessary Knowledge.
[AS.] Fine particles of stone on the seashore or in deserts, made by the wearing out of rocks, especially of quartz, silica, or flint. River-sand and sand from pits are usually sharper than sea-sand. The colors of sand are made by various oxides of iron. Sand is used in making glass, mortar, cement, sand-paper, molds for casting, and in sawing stones and grinding cutlery.- Sand-blast is a stream of sharp sand let fall from a high box on a plate of glass to cut it and make it look like ground glass. Metals and stones may also be cut by the sand-blast. The parts not requiring to be cut or engraved are covered with leather, paper, or wax.
 
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