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chondrule

American  
[kon-drool] / ˈkɒn drul /

noun

  1. a small round mass of olivine or pyroxene found in stony meteorites.


chondrule British  
/ ˈkɒndruːl /

noun

  1. one of the small spherical masses of mainly silicate minerals present in chondrites

"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

chondrule Scientific  
/ kŏndro̅o̅l /
  1. A small round granule of olivine or pyroxene occurring in many stony meteorites. Chondrules are thought to have formed from the condensation of hot gases in the solar system.


Etymology

Origin of chondrule

First recorded in 1885–90; chondr- + -ule

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In contrast, chondrites retain primitive solar system dust as well as small molten droplets called chondrules.

From Science Daily

The chemical composition of chondrules can help scientists understand the structure and composition of the nebula of gas and dust from which the planets and asteroids formed.

From Scientific American

The pieces of the asteroid Ryugu could answer stubborn questions about the origins of our solar system, including how chondrules were made.

From Scientific American

"The mission will proceed over several phases with the introduction of different types of particles into the ETC, beginning with large solid spherical particles, and finishing with aggregates of micron-sized dust and chondrules."

From Salon

In the other camp, which proposes chondrule formation was post-planetesimal, one of the more prominent models is called impact jetting.

From Scientific American