hornfels
[ hawrn-felz ]
/ ˈhɔrn fɛlz /
|
noun
a dark, fine-grained metamorphic rock, the result of recrystallization of siliceous or argillaceous sediments by contact metamorphism.
Nearby words
hornet, hornet clearwing, hornet's nest, horney, horney, karen, hornfels, hornie, horning, hornito, hornpipe, hornpout
Origin of hornfels
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hornfels
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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Science 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.