chert

[ churt ]

/ tʃɜrt /

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noun

a compact rock consisting essentially of microcrystalline quartz.

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Origin of chert

First recorded in 1670–80; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM chert

cherty, adjective

Words nearby chert

cherry plum, cherry red, cherrystone, cherry tomato, chersonese, chert, Chertsey, cherub, cherubfish, cherubic, Cherubicon

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

How to use chert in a sentence

The water was ice-cold and filtered through the chert and limestone of the country and tasted as though civilization was still something in the future.
Sebastian Junger on Walking America’s Railroads|Sebastian Junger|May 19, 2021|Outside Online
To other chert samples, they added sulfur-containing “biomorphs,” spheres and filaments made of tiny crystals but shaped like bacteria.
Fossil mimics may be more common in ancient rocks than actual fossils|Carolyn Gramling|February 9, 2021|Science News
Cosmidis, Nims and colleagues added sulfur-containing bacteria called Thiothrix to solidifying chert to see what might happen during actual fossilization.
Fossil mimics may be more common in ancient rocks than actual fossils|Carolyn Gramling|February 9, 2021|Science News
And because the place where they made fires was found, these mountains are called Aw-up Chert-taw to this day.
Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights|J. William Lloyd

Most examples from this area are made from Ft. Payne chert, which is usually patinated to a chocolate brown color.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron
Points were made from Ft. Payne chert, Bangor nodular flint, jasper or other local materials.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron
Some examples made of Ft. Payne chert show considerable patination.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron
Most examples are made of Ft. Payne chert but other local materials were also used.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron

British Dictionary definitions for chert

chert

/ (tʃɜːt) /

noun

a microcrystalline form of silica usually occurring as bands or layers of pebbles in sedimentary rock. Formula: SiO 2 . Varieties include flint, lyddite (Lydian stone)Also called: hornstone

Derived forms of chert

cherty, adjective

Word Origin for chert

C17: of obscure 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

Scientific definitions for chert

chert

[ chûrt ]

A hard, brittle sedimentary rock consisting of microcrystalline quartz. It is often reddish-brown to green but can also occur in a variety of other colors, especially white, pink, brown, or black. Chert often contains impurities such as calcium, iron-oxide, or the remains of silica-rich organisms. It usually occurs as nodules in limestone and dolomite and has curved fractures.