metamorphism
Americannoun
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Geology. a change in the structure or constitution of a rock due to natural agencies, as pressure and heat, especially when the rock becomes harder and more completely crystalline.
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Archaic. metamorphosis.
noun
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the process by which metamorphic rocks are formed
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a variant of metamorphosis
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The process by which rocks are changed in composition, texture, or structure by extreme heat and pressure.
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◆ In prograde metamorphism metamorphic rocks that were formed under low pressure and temperature conditions undergo a second metamorphic event in which they are exposed to higher pressures and temperatures.
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◆ In retrograde metamorphism metamorphic rocks that were formed under high pressure and temperature conditions undergo a second metamorphic event in which they are exposed to lower pressures and temperatures.
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See more at contact metamorphism regional metamorphism
Etymology
Origin of metamorphism
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.
Later that summer, someone at Scientific American dug out an old 1904 book by Wisconsin geologist Charles Van Hise, A Treatise on Metamorphism, dubbing it “a prophecy” of the recent hot summers.
From Slate • Dec. 20, 2021
Metamorphism of iron and/or sulfide deposits commonly results in an increase in grain size that makes separation of gangue from the desired sulfide or oxide minerals much easier.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017
Metamorphism can also take place if cold rock near the surface is intruded and heated by a hot igneous body.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Metamorphism in which much of the change is derived from fluids passing through the rock is known as metasomatism.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015
Hydrothermal Action, or the Influence of Steam and Gases in producing Metamorphism.
From The Student's Elements of Geology by Lyell, Charles, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
