batholith

American  

[bath-uh-lith] / ˈbæθ ə lɪθ /

noun

Geology.

1. a large body of intrusive igneous rock believed to have crystallized at a considerable depth below the earth's surface; pluton.

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batholith British  

/ ˈbæθəˌlaɪt, ˈbæθəlɪθ /

noun

1. a very large irregular-shaped mass of igneous rock, esp granite, formed from an intrusion of magma at great depth, esp one exposed after erosion of less resistant overlying rocks

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batholith Scientific  

/ băth′ə-lĭth′ /

1. A large mass of igneous rock that has intruded and melted surrounding strata at great depths. Batholiths usually have a surface area of over 100 km ² (38 mi ²).

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Other Word Forms

• batholithic adjective

Etymology

Origin of batholith

First recorded in 1900–05; batho- + -lith

Example Sentences

“The central granitic batholith defines the White Alps, a land of spires and glacially carved valleys with hanging lakes as a result. The eastern-most section is called the Red Alps because serpentine soils are common.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2025

Since batholith B cuts both the gneiss and fault A, batholith B is younger than the other two rock formations.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Pink granite batholith circles Ensign Lake, and prehistoric “volcano bombs” — chunks of rock blown off the side of a volcano — lie at the bottom of Kekekabic Lake.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2016

What is the difference between a batholith and a stock?

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Monazite, together with a small amount of gold, is also known in the stream gravels of the Boise Basin, Idaho, where a large granitic batholith evidently carries the mineral sparsely distributed throughout.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)