basalt
[ buh-sawlt, bas-awlt, bey-sawlt ]
/ bəˈsɔlt, ˈbæs ɔlt, ˈbeɪ sɔlt /
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noun
the dark, dense igneous rock of a lava flow or minor intrusion, composed essentially of labradorite and pyroxene and often displaying a columnar structure.
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Origin of basalt
1595–1605; <Latin basaltēs, a misreading, in manuscripts of Pliny, of basanītēs<Greek basanī́tēs (líthos) touchstone, equivalent to básan(os) touchstone (ultimately <Egyptian bh̬n(w) graywacke) + -ītēs-ite1
OTHER WORDS FROM basalt
ba·sal·tic, ba·sal·tine [buh-sawl-tin, -tahyn], /bəˈsɔl tɪn, -taɪn/, adjectivesub·ba·sal·tic, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for basalt
British Dictionary definitions for basalt
basalt
/ (ˈbæsɔːlt) /
noun
a fine-grained dark basic igneous rock consisting of plagioclase feldspar, a pyroxene, and olivine: the most common volcanic rock and usually extrusiveSee flood basalt
a form of black unglazed pottery resembling basalt
Derived forms of basalt
basaltic, adjectiveWord Origin for basalt
C18: from Late Latin basaltēs, variant of basanītēs, from Greek basanitēs touchstone, from basanos, of Egyptian origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for basalt
basalt
[ bə-sôlt′, bā′sôlt′ ]
A dark, fine-grained, igneous rock consisting mostly of plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene, and sometimes olivine. Basalt makes up most of the ocean floor and is the most common type of lava. It sometimes cools into characteristic hexagonal columns, as in the Giant's Causeway in Anterim, Northern Island. It is the fine-grained equivalent of gabbro.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for basalt
basalt
[ (buh-sawlt, bay-sawlt) ]
A hard, dense igneous rock that makes up much of the material in tectonic plates. The part of the Earth's crust beneath the oceans consists mainly of basalt whereas continental crust consists mainly of less dense rocks, such as granite. (See plate tectonics.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.