greenstone

American

[green-stohn] / ˈgrinˌstoʊn /

noun

any of various altered basaltic rocks having a dark-green color caused by the presence of chlorite, epidote, etc.

greenstone British

/ ˈɡriːnˌstəʊn /

noun

any basic igneous rock that is dark green because of the presence of chlorite, actinolite, or epidote
a variety of jade used in New Zealand for ornaments and tools

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

greenstone Scientific

/ grēn′stōn′ /

Any of various green metamorphic rocks formed from igneous rocks that have a relatively low silica content and owe their color to the presence of a green mineral such as chlorite, hornblende, or epidote.

Etymology

Origin of greenstone

First recorded in 1765–75; green + stone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

greenstone

Houses and a “polished greenstone axe” dating to around 3800 B.C. have been excavated at Horton, west of London.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

Along with the bones, the researchers found 1470 fragments of greenstone pendants, beads, plaques, and mosaics.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 17, 2024

The box also held three ceramic vessels, ear flares and a pair of greenstone beads.

From Reuters ● Sep. 25, 2023

Oyster shells and greenstone were equated with life, vitality and solar rebirth in the sea.

From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2022

The rock in connection is greenstone trap, which is sometimes porphyritic.

From Scenes and Andventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023