argillite

[ ahr-juh-lahyt ]

/ ˈɑr dʒəˌlaɪt /

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noun

any compact sedimentary rock composed mainly of clay materials; clay stone.

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Origin of argillite

1785–95; <Latin argill(a) argil + -ite¹

OTHER WORDS FROM argillite

ar·gil·lit·ic

[ahr-juh-lit-ik], /ˌɑr dʒəˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby argillite

Argie, argie-bargie, argil, argillaceous, argilliferous, argillite, arginase, arginine, Argive, argle-bargle, Argo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use argillite in a sentence

The fact that argillite continued in use until the very last does not affect this conclusion.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, July 1899|Various
On reaching the head of it, we found argillite in a vertical position.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
Sandstone may be converted into quartzite, and shale into argillite, a compact, massive clay rock.
The Elements of Geology|William Harmon Norton
Near the upper end of the camp, Avalanche Creek has cut a deep, narrow gorge through brilliant red argillite.
Glacier National Park [Montana]|United States Dept. of the Interior

Towering mountains close upon him upon both sides, that upon his right a celebrity in red argillite known as Rising Wolf.
The Book of the National Parks|Robert Sterling Yard

British Dictionary definitions for argillite

argillite

/ (ˈɑːdʒɪˌlaɪt) /

noun

any argillaceous rock, esp a hardened mudstone

Derived forms of argillite

argillitic (ˌɑːdʒɪˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for argillite

C18: from Latin argilla clay (from Greek argillos) + -ite 1

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

Scientific definitions for argillite

argillite

[ är′jə-līt′ ]

A highly compacted sedimentary or slightly metamorphic rock consisting primarily of particles of clay or silt. Argillite differs from mudstone in that it does not have the same fine laminations, and from shale and slate in that it is not fissile.