arkose

[ ahr-kohs ]

/ ˈɑr koʊs /

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noun

a granular sedimentary rock composed of quartz and feldspar or mica; a feldspathic sandstone.

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Origin of arkose

Borrowed into English from French around 1830–40

OTHER WORDS FROM arkose

ar·ko·sic, adjective

Words nearby arkose

Arkansas stone, Arkansas toothpick, Arkansawyer, Arkhangelsk, Arkie, arkose, ark shell, arkwright, arkwright furniture, ARL, Arlberg

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

How to use arkose in a sentence

Its heavy concentration of feldspar grains — known as arkose — means the rock is inevitably prone to chemical decay.
Hiking along Virginia’s Aquia Creek and finding history a stone’s throw from home|Walter Nicklin|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
The lowest cretaceous rocks yet found are composed of an arkose, derived in large part from the original igneous mass.
The History of Cuba, vol. 1|Willis Fletcher Johnson
At the base there is often an arkose, composed largely of fragments of serpentine and granite derived from the ancient floor.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7|Various

British Dictionary definitions for arkose

arkose

/ (ˈɑːkəʊs) /

noun

a sandstone consisting of grains of feldspar and quartz cemented by a mixture of quartz and clay minerals

Word Origin for arkose

C19: from French

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 arkose

arkose

[ är′kōs ]

A usually pinkish or red sandstone consisting primarily of quartz and feldspar. Arkose usually forms as the result of the rapid disintegration of granite in areas of vigorous erosion. Its grains are usually angular and poorly sorted (mixed randomly in differing sizes).