peridotite

American  

[per-i-doh-tahyt, puh-rid-uh-tahyt] / ˈpɛr ɪˌdoʊ taɪt, pəˈrɪd əˌtaɪt /

noun

1. a coarsely granular igneous rock composed chiefly of olivine with an admixture of various other minerals.

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peridotite British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈdəʊtaɪt /

noun

1. a dark coarse-grained ultrabasic plutonic igneous rock consisting principally of olivine

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peridotite Scientific  

/ 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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Other Word Forms

• peridotitic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of peridotite

From French, dating back to 1895–1900; see origin at peridot, -ite ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

peridotite

The mantle is largely made of a rock called peridotite.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

The only hiccup came when the recovered peridotite rocks contained veins of asbestos, prompting increased safety protocols.

From Science Magazine ● May 25, 2023

The Lost City vents were found to arise by a process termed serpentinization — a chemical interaction between water and a type of rock called peridotite that contains minerals enriched in magnesium, iron and silica.

From Nature ● Nov. 6, 2018

The mantle contains peridotite, a rock that reacts with the carbon in air and water to form marble and limestone.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2017

According to a Nature report, it seems not to be peridotite.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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