lamprophyre

American  

[lam-pruh-fahy^uhr] / ˈlæm prəˌfaɪər /

noun

Petrology.

1. any dark intrusive rock in which dark minerals occur both as phenocrysts and as groundmass.

---

lamprophyre British  

/ ˈlæmprəˌfaɪə /

noun

1. any of a group of basic igneous rocks consisting of feldspathoids and ferromagnesian minerals, esp biotite: occurring as dykes and minor intrusions

---

lamprophyre Scientific  

/ lăm′prə-fīr′ /

1. A dark igneous rock, having a porphyritic texture in which both the phenocrysts (larger crystals) and the matrix consist primarily of pyroxene, hornblende, and biotite.

---

Other Word Forms

• lamprophyric
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lamprophyre

1885–90; lampro- (< Greek lamprós clear) + -phyre

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lamprophyre

There are only three types of magma on the planet that can manage it, at least that we’ve identified so far: kimberlite, lamproite, and lamprophyre.

From Scientific American ● May 4, 2019

Typically they occur as dikes or as thin sills, often in association with nepheline-syenite; and they seem to bear a complementary relationship to certain types of lamprophyre, such as camptonite and monchiquite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3 "Borgia, Lucrezia" to "Bradford, John" by Various

Sheets of quartz-porphyry, lamprophyre and diorite are also represented, the first of these types being quarried at Crarae on the north shore of Loch Fyne.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 5 "Arculf" to "Armour, Philip" by Various

They are found mostly as loose crystals in gravel, but are known also in igenous rocks like andesite and lamprophyre.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 4 "Coquelin" to "Costume" by Various