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peridotite

[per-i-doh-tahyt, puh-rid-uh-tahyt]
noun
  1. a coarsely granular igneous rock composed chiefly of olivine with an admixture of various other minerals.
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Origin of peridotite

From French, dating back to 1895–1900; see origin at peridot, -ite1
Related formsper·i·do·tit·ic [per-i-doh-tit-ik, puh-rid-uh-] /ˌpɛr ɪ doʊˈtɪt ɪk, pəˌrɪd ə-/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for peridotite

Historical Examples of peridotite

  • Chromite is a common minor constituent of basic igneous rocks of the peridotite and pyroxenite type.

    The Economic Aspect of Geology

    C. K. Leith

  • In this locality the original rock is a peridotite, relatively low in nickel, which has been altered to serpentine.

  • In Georgia the asbestos, which is anthophyllite, occurs in lenticular masses in peridotite associated with gneiss.

  • Small diamonds have been found in peridotite masses in Pike County, Arkansas, but these are of very little commercial value.

  • Most of these occur along with troctolites, norites, serpentine and peridotite.

British Dictionary definitions for peridotite

peridotite

noun
  1. a dark coarse-grained ultrabasic plutonic igneous rock consisting principally of olivine
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Derived Formsperidotitic (ˌpɛrɪdəʊˈtɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for peridotite

C19: from French, from peridot
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
peridotite in Science

peridotite

[pĕr′ĭ-dō-tīt′, pə-rĭd′ə-]
  1. A coarse-grained igneous rock that consists mainly of olivine and pyroxene. It is believed to be one of the main constituent rocks of the Earth's mantle.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.