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

How to use chert in a sentence

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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