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hornfels
[ hawrn-felz ]
/ ˈhɔrn fɛlz /
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noun
a dark, fine-grained metamorphic rock, the result of recrystallization of siliceous or argillaceous sediments by contact metamorphism.
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Origin of hornfels
Words nearby hornfels
Horner-Trantas dot, hornet, hornet clearwing, hornet's nest, Horney, hornfels, horn fly, Hornie, horn in, horning, horn in on
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use hornfels in a sentence
From diabases, basalts, andesites and other igneous rocks a third type of hornfels is produced.
British Dictionary definitions for hornfels
hornfels
/ (ˈhɔːnfɛlz) /
noun
a hard compact fine-grained metamorphic rock formed by the action of heat from a magmatic intrusion on neighbouring sedimentary rocksAlso called: hornstone
Word Origin for hornfels
German: literally, horn rock
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for hornfels
hornfels
[ hôrn′fĕlz′ ]
A fine-grained metamorphic rock having a uniform grain size and formed by contact metamorphism.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.