oolite

[oh-uh-lahyt]

noun

Geology.

1. a limestone composed of minute rounded concretions resembling fish roe, in some places altered to ironstone by replacement with iron oxide.

oolite

/ ˌəʊəˈlɪtɪk, ˈəʊəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. any sedimentary rock, esp limestone, consisting of tiny spherical concentric grains within a fine matrix

oolite

1. A sedimentary rock consisting of ooliths that are cemented together by calcium carbonate.

Other Word Forms

• oolitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oolite¹

1775–85; (< French oölithe ) < New Latin oölithēs. See oo-, -lite

Word History and Origins

Origin of oolite¹

C18: from French from New Latin oolitēs, literally: egg stone; probably a translation of German Rogenstein roe stone

Example Sentences

The arrival of Art Basel, he said, “was a stab of adrenaline that instigated a lot of effort,” including the city’s own public and private museums, nonprofit organizations like Oolite Arts and Locust Projects, and, not least, the creation of freshly minted homegrown collectors.

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The Shoofly Oolite - named for nearby Shoofly Creek - is one of the largest ooid formations in the world, according to the BLM.

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You can sit in the round craters hollowed out of heaped oolite domes or climb along rolling expanses of craggy rock.

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The oolite rock structures can be found in scattered clusters along what’s called the Glenns Ferry Formation, so intrepid explorers can follow the edge of the plateau to see even more of the odd rocks.

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At the trailhead, which is marked by a wooden barrier, the BLM has installed signs explaining the significance of the oolite.

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