syenite

American  

[sahy-uh-nahyt] / ˈsaɪ əˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a granular igneous rock consisting chiefly of orthoclase and oligoclase with hornblende, biotite, or augite.

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syenite British  

/ ˈsaɪəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured coarse-grained plutonic igneous rock consisting of feldspars with hornblende or biotite

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syenite Scientific  

/ sī′ə-nīt′ /

1. A light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting primarily of alkali feldspar together with some mafic minerals, especially hornblende. Unlike most igneous rocks, syenite has little or no quartz. It is believed to form from the cooling of magma that forms at very high temperatures and at great depths. It is the coarse-grained equivalent of trachyte.

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Other Word Forms

• syenitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of syenite

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Latin syēnītēs (lapis) “(stone) of Syene” (the ancient name of Aswan, an Egyptian city on the Nile), from Greek syēnī́tēs (líthos); see -ite ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

syenite

Rocks labeled as ‘granite’ in laymen applications can be several other rocks, including syenite, tonalite, and monzonite.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Most of these tracks end behind large boulders of dolostone or syenite, some however start and end without an apparent object nearby.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 22, 2013

Kremlin, the citadel of Moscow, Russia. serpentine: a rock, often of a dull green colour, mantled and mottled with red and purple. syenite: a stone named from Syene, in Egypt, where it was first found.

From The Browning Cyclop?dia A Guide to the Study of the Works of Robert Browning by Edward Berdoe

Mr. Jefferson says that it is of syenite, and measures in feet twelve by nine by five and a half, but it is deep in the sand.

From Climbing in The British Isles. Vol. 1 - England by W. P. Haskett Smith

What is the mineralogical composition of syenite and diorite?

From Geology by James Geikie