hornfels

[ hawrn-felz ]

noun
  1. a dark, fine-grained metamorphic rock, the result of recrystallization of siliceous or argillaceous sediments by contact metamorphism.

Origin of hornfels

1
1850–55; <German, equivalent to Hornhorn + Fels rock, cliff

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British Dictionary definitions for hornfels

hornfels

/ (ˈhɔːnfɛlz) /


noun
  1. a hard compact fine-grained metamorphic rock formed by the action of heat from a magmatic intrusion on neighbouring sedimentary rocks: Also called: hornstone

Origin of hornfels

1
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

Scientific definitions for hornfels

hornfels

[ hôrnfĕlz′ ]


  1. A fine-grained metamorphic rock having a uniform grain size and formed by contact metamorphism.

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