granite

¹

[gran-it]

noun

1. a coarse-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of orthoclase and albite feldspars and of quartz, usually with lesser amounts of one or more other minerals, as mica, hornblende, or augite.

2. anything compared to this rock in great hardness, firmness, or durability.

granité

²

[gran-i-tey, grah-ni-, gra-nee-tey]

noun

French Cooking.

1. ice.

granite

/ ɡrəˈnɪtɪk, ˈɡrænɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured coarse-grained acid plutonic igneous rock consisting of quartz, feldspars, and such ferromagnesian minerals as biotite or hornblende: widely used for building

2. great hardness, endurance, or resolution

3. another name for a stone

granite

1. A usually light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of quartz, orthoclase feldspar, sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar, and micas. Quartz usually makes up 10 to 50 percent of the light-colored minerals in granite, with the remaining minerals consisting of the feldspars and muscovite. The darker minerals in granite are usually biotite and hornblende. Granite is one of the most common rocks in the crust of continents, and is formed by the slow, underground cooling of magma.

granite

1. A relatively lightweight igneous rock that makes up most of the Earth's crust beneath the continents. (See basalt, plate tectonics, and tectonic plates.)

Other Word Forms

• granitic adjective
• granitelike adjective
• pregranitic adjective
• granite-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of granite¹

First recorded in 1640–50, granite is from the Italian word granito grainy. See grain, -ite ¹

Origin of granite²

From French

Word History and Origins

Origin of granite¹

C17: from Italian granito grained, from granire to grain, from grano grain, from Latin grānum

Example Sentences

To avoid the melee on the cables, five climbers sought shelter in a cramped granite cave at the summit.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It sits on a hill, overlooking a crisp blue lake and a 218-feet-tall granite temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Read more on BBC

His father worked with granite counter-tops and his mother was a licensed social worker.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Every time Karen Betlejewski visits the Smith River Community Pioneer Cemetery, she places silk flowers beside a simple granite headstone in the northeast corner.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Outside, a decomposed granite and gravel path and native, fire-resilient plantings create a secure edge, while covered outdoor rooms blur the line between exterior and interior.

Read more on Los Angeles Times