Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

greenstone

[green-stohn]
noun
  1. any of various altered basaltic rocks having a dark-green color caused by the presence of chlorite, epidote, etc.
Show More

Origin of greenstone

First recorded in 1765–75; green + stone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for greenstone

Historical Examples

  • As if to collect his thoughts, he had paused, looking away at Greenstone Ridge.

    The Phantom Violin

    Roy J. Snell

  • Her eyes were fixed upon the dark masses of Greenstone Ridge.

    The Phantom Violin

    Roy J. Snell

  • “Here we are on Greenstone Ridge,” the dark-eyed girl went on.

    The Phantom Violin

    Roy J. Snell

  • Which being really built of greenstone the story must be true!

  • Then there arose a dispute about the ownership of a tangiwai (greenstone pendant).

British Dictionary definitions for greenstone

greenstone

noun
  1. any basic igneous rock that is dark green because of the presence of chlorite, actinolite, or epidote
  2. a variety of jade used in New Zealand for ornaments and tools
Show More
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
greenstone in Science

greenstone

[grēn′stōn′]
  1. Any of various green metamorphic rocks formed from igneous rocks that have a relatively low silica content and owe their color to the presence of a green mineral such as chlorite, hornblende, or epidote.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.