dolerite

American  

[dol-uh-rahyt] / ˈdɒl əˌraɪt /

noun

Petrology.

1. a coarse-grained variety of basalt.

2. any of various other igneous rocks, as diabase.

3. any basaltlike igneous rock whose composition can be determined only by microscopic examination.

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dolerite British  

/ ˌdɒləˈrɪtɪk, ˈdɒləˌraɪt /

noun

1. a dark basic intrusive igneous rock consisting of plagioclase feldspar and a pyroxene, such as augite; often emplaced in dykes

2. any dark igneous rock whose composition cannot be determined with the naked eye

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dolerite Scientific  

/ dŏl′ə-rīt′ /

1. See diabase

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Other Word Forms

• doleritic adjective

Etymology

Origin of dolerite

1830–40; < French dolérite < Greek doler ( ós ) deceitful (derivative of dólos wile) + French -ite -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Rockfalls on a narrow rocky path that clings to the side of a giant slab of dolerite rock are, unsurprisingly, not a new issue.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

And while there are erratics in some areas, "there is no record of the very distinctive spotted dolerite used at Stonehenge", the researchers said.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2025

But that is not quite true: permanence and certainty seem to bounce off its sandstone and dolerite surfaces.

From The Guardian • Feb. 8, 2019

To celebrate the millennium, an ill-fated project, funded with £100,000 from the national lottery, attempted to re-enact the fetching of a single three-tonne dolerite bluestone from Wales to Wiltshire.

From The Guardian • Feb. 8, 2019

Yamu-nedjeh clapped out a rhythm with his hands and all one hundred thirty of us slammed our dolerite against the granite.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman