The word 'tessera' in latin means a small stone cube. They were used to make up 'tessellata' - the mosaic pictures forming floors and tilings in Roman buildingsNotice, in the example at right, that the artists used many small square tiles to create one big picture of a bull.Nowadays, the term "tessellation" has become more specialized. Its meaning has changed. Now it means pictures or tiles that aren't just square-shaped.