anatexis

[an-uh-tek-sis]

noun, plural an·a·tex·es [an-uh-tek-seez] /ˌæn əˈtɛk siz/. Geology.

the process by which igneous rock remelts into magma.

Origin of anatexis

< New Latin < Greek anátēxis a melting, equivalent to anatḗk(ein) to melt down (ana- ana- + tḗkein to thaw) + -sis -sis

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British Dictionary definitions for anatexis

anatexis

noun

geology the partial melting of rocks, esp in the formation of metamorphic rocks

Word Origin for anatexis

C20: from Greek: rebirth

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