basalt

[ buh-sawlt, bas-awlt, bey-sawlt ]

/ bəˈsɔlt, ˈbæs ɔlt, ˈbeɪ sɔlt /

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.

Nearby words

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

Related formsba·sal·tic, ba·sal·tine

[buh-sawl-tin, -tahyn] /bəˈsɔl tɪn, -taɪn/, adjectivesub·ba·sal·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for basaltic

There is a strip of basaltic flags connecting the door of one of the corridors with that of the tepidarium.
Pompeii, Its Life and Art|August Mau
I am afraid so, unless I should happen to find diamonds in the basaltic formation of the Eagle's Nest.
Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty|J. W. de Forest
The most conspicuous of these basaltic beds forms the summit of the hill which is called Salisbury Craig.
Theory of the Earth, Volume 2 (of 4)|James Hutton
Fingal's Cave, in the Island of Staffa, furnishes a remarkable instance of basaltic columns.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3|Various

The trachytic rocks are small in quantity compared with those of the basaltic class.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for basaltic

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 Formsbasaltic, adjective

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for basaltic

basalt

c.1600, from Late Latin basaltes, misspelling of Latin basanites "very hard stone," from Greek basanites "a species of slate used to test gold," from basanos "touchstone." Not connected with salt. Said by Pliny ["Historia," 36.58] to be an African word, perhaps Egyptian bauhan "slate." Any hard, very dark rock would do as a touchstone; the assayer compared the streak left by the alleged gold with that of real gold or baser metals. Hence Greek basanizein "to be put to the test, examined closely, cross-examined, to be put to torture."

Science definitions for basaltic

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.

Culture definitions for basaltic

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.)