dunite

[ doo-nahyt, duhn-ahyt ]

/ ˈdu naɪt, ˈdʌn aɪt /

noun

a coarse-grained igneous rock composed almost entirely of olivine.

Nearby words

dungeons and dragons, dunger, dunghill, dunham, duniewassal, dunite, duniwassal, dunk, dunk shot, dunker, dunkerque

Origin of dunite

1865–70; named after Mt. Dun in New Zealand, where it is found; see -ite¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for dunite

dunite

/ (ˈdʌnaɪt) /

noun

an ultrabasic igneous rock consisting mainly of olivine

Word Origin for dunite

C19: named after Dun Mountain, a mountain in New Zealand where it is abundant

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

Science definitions for dunite

dunite

[ dōō′nīt′, dŭn′īt′ ]

A coarse-grained igneous rock that consists mainly of olivine.