granite

¹ American  

[gran-it] / ˈgræn ɪt /

noun

1. a coarse-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of orthoclase and albite feldspars and of quartz, usually with lesser amounts of one or more other minerals, as mica, hornblende, or augite.

2. anything compared to this rock in great hardness, firmness, or durability.

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granité ² American  

[gran-i-tey, grah-ni-, gra-nee-tey] / ˌgræn ɪˈteɪ, ˌgrɑ nɪ-, gra niˈteɪ /

noun

French Cooking.

1. ice.

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granite British  

/ ɡrəˈnɪtɪk, ˈɡrænɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured coarse-grained acid plutonic igneous rock consisting of quartz, feldspars, and such ferromagnesian minerals as biotite or hornblende: widely used for building

2. great hardness, endurance, or resolution

3. another name for a stone

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granite Scientific  

/ grăn′ĭt /

1. A usually light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of quartz, orthoclase feldspar, sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar, and micas. Quartz usually makes up 10 to 50 percent of the light-colored minerals in granite, with the remaining minerals consisting of the feldspars and muscovite. The darker minerals in granite are usually biotite and hornblende. Granite is one of the most common rocks in the crust of continents, and is formed by the slow, underground cooling of magma.

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granite Cultural  

1. A relatively lightweight igneous rock that makes up most of the Earth's crust beneath the continents. (See basalt, plate tectonics, and tectonic plates.)

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Other Word Forms

• granite-like adjective
• granitelike adjective
• granitic adjective
• pregranitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of granite¹

First recorded in 1640–50, granite is from the Italian word granito grainy. See grain, -ite ¹

Origin of granité¹

From French

Compare meaning

How does granite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gneiss vs. granite

Example Sentences

As the water interacts with rocks, especially silicate rocks such as granite, it gradually breaks them down.

From Science Daily

No expense has been spared on its interior design, which features stunning hardwood floors, granite countertops in the kitchen, and heated tile flooring in the primary bathroom.

From MarketWatch

Preservationists have sued to stop him from painting the gray granite facade.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most Europeans see trans-Atlanticism as something like an edifice, with a wooden facade built over brick walls sitting on granite foundations.

From The Wall Street Journal

At regular intervals divers found large granite standing stones – or monoliths – protruding above the wall in two parallel lines.

From BBC