Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

metamorphic rock

Cultural  
  1. Rock that was once one form of rock but has changed to another under the influence of heat, pressure, or some other agent without passing through a liquid phase.


Discover More

Examples are marble, which can be formed from limestone, and slate, which is formed from shale.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s the sturdy metamorphic rock that underlies the Los Angeles Basin, “the bedrock of this whole area,” Coffey says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2024

But which sedimentary rock is that metamorphic rock derived from, hmm?

From Slate • Jan. 12, 2024

It’s a metamorphic rock, which means it becomes something new under extreme heat and pressure without melting.

From National Geographic • Oct. 12, 2023

The person with knowledge of the matter said that the group’s name derived from the metamorphic rock, signaling the group’s intent to be enduring and maintain a clarity of purpose.

From New York Times • Aug. 22, 2022

Beyond, the metamorphic rock gave place to red sandstone, and the ground sloped down into the little coal basin of Firmi.

From Wanderings by southern waters, eastern Aquitaine by Barker, Edward Harrison