gabbro

[gab-roh]

noun

Petrology.

plural

gabbros 

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

gabbro

/ ˈɡæbrəʊ /

noun

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

gabbro

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• gabbroic adjective
• gabbroitic adjective
• gabbroid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gabbro¹

< Italian; akin to Latin glaber smooth

Word History and Origins

Origin of gabbro¹

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

Example Sentences

"These elements allowed us to look back through the chemical changes that TTG magmas go through and trace the melt compositions back to their initial state and source -- most likely a sort of gabbro."

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In retrospect, it is clearer now that the gabbro was never going to get along with the coring drill.

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It's thanks to the gabbro that Marys Peak stands so tall.

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The textbook explanation is that the Moho draws the line between the crust and the mantle: a demarcation between familiar igneous surface rocks - such as granites, basalts and gabbros - and those of the interior peridotites.

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Unlike the basalt that makes up much of the Coast Range, which cooled quickly after erupting on the ocean floor, gabbro forms deep underground.

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