gabbro

[ gab-roh ]

/ ˈgæb roʊ /

noun, plural gab·bros. Petrology.

a dark granular igneous rock composed essentially of labradorite and augite.

Nearby words

Origin of gabbro

< Italian; akin to Latin glaber smooth

Related formsgab·bro·ic

[guh-broh-ik] /gəˈbroʊ ɪk/, gab·bro·it·ic, adjectivegab·broid

[gab-roid] /ˈgæb rɔɪd/, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for gabbro

Still more common is the occurrence of sheared, foliated or schistose forms of gabbro.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4|Various
Like labradorite and anorthite, it is a common constituent of basic igneous rocks, such as gabbro and basalt.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4|Various
The gneisses appear to be due in many cases to the crushing and shearing of deep-seated igneous rocks, such as granite and gabbro.
The Elements of Geology|William Harmon Norton
These are caused either by old intrusions of diabase and gabbro which have undergone modifications, or by later ones of dolerite.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6|Various

Lithologically they are crystalline schists, together with granite, diorite, gabbro and other igneous rocks.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gabbro

gabbro

/ (ˈɡæbrəʊ) /

noun plural -bros

a dark coarse-grained basic plutonic igneous rock consisting of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and often olivine

Derived Formsgabbroic or gabbroitic, adjective

Word Origin for gabbro

C19: from Italian, probably from Latin glaber smooth, bald

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

Word Origin and History for gabbro

gabbro

type of igneous rock, 1837, from Italian (Tuscan) gabbro, from Latin glaber "bare, smooth, bald" (see glad).

Science definitions for gabbro

gabbro

[ găb′rō ]

A usually dark, coarse-grained igneous rock composed mostly of plagioclase feldspar and clinopyroxene, and sometimes olivine. Gabbro is the coarse-grained equivalent of basalt.