phonolite

American  

[fohn-l-ahyt] / ˈfoʊn lˌaɪt /

noun

1. a fine-grained volcanic rock composed chiefly of alkali feldspar and nepheline, some varieties of which split into pieces that ring on being struck.

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phonolite British  

/ ˌfəʊnəˈlɪtɪk, ˈfəʊnəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a fine-grained volcanic igneous rock consisting of alkaline feldspars and nepheline

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Other Word Forms

• phonolitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of phonolite

1820–30; < French < German Phonolith. See phono-, -lite

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

phonolite

XAS determination of the Fe local environment and oxidation state in phonolite glasses.

From Nature ● Dec. 12, 2017

The porphyries containing vitreous feldspar and hornblende, the phonolite, the greenstone, the amygdaloids, and the basalt, have forms almost as invariable as simple crystallized substances.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Ross, Thomasina

The rocks are lavas and ashes, chiefly of andesitic or basaltic composition, but rhyolites and trachytes also occur, and phonolite has been met with in one or two places.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6 "Celtes, Konrad" to "Ceramics" by Various

The rock is phonolite, and is divided into irregular columns.

From The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, Charles

I found a mass of crystals of the greenish volcanic glass, called olivine, imbedded in a piece of phonolite which looked as blue and fresh as if only quarried yesterday.

From The Hawaiian Archipelago by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)