authigenic

American

[aw-thi-jen-ik] / ˌɔ θɪˈdʒɛn ɪk /

adjective

Geology.

(of a constituent of a rock) formed in the rock where it is found.

authigenic British

/ ˌɔːθɪˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

(of minerals) having crystallized in a sediment during or after deposition

"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

Etymology

Origin of authigenic

1885–90; < German Authigen < Greek authigenḗs native to a specific place ( aûthi there + -genēs born) + -ic; genic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A K-Ar age of 4.21 ± 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim.

From Science Magazine

Meet Alvin, the Deep-Sea Submersible Seasickness, and Mutualistic Bacterial Mats Creepy Crawlies and Lady Gaga Heads The plan for Alvin Dive 4636 was ambitious: deploy four experiments and collect eight authigenic carbonates, four Niskin bottles of water, 24 tube cores of seep sediment, one scoop of clams, and two “slurps” of microbial mat.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023