pelite

[ pee-lahyt ]
/ ˈpi laɪt /

noun Geology.

any clayey rock, as mudstone or shale.

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Origin of pelite

1875–80; < Greek pēl(ós) clay, earth + -ite1

OTHER WORDS FROM pelite

pe·lit·ic [pi-lit-ik] /pɪˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby pelite

pelike, pelion, peliosis, peliosis hepatis, pelisse, pelite, pelizaeus-merzbacher disease, pell-mell, pella, pellagra, pellagra-preventive factor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for pelite

pelite
/ (ˈpiːlaɪt) /

noun

any argillaceous rock such as shale

Derived forms of pelite

pelitic (pɪˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for pelite

C19: from Greek pēlos mud
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 pelite

pelite
[ pē′līt′ ]

A sediment or sedimentary rock composed of fine fragments, as of clay or mud.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.