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

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

From Nature • Dec. 12, 2017

The great elevated plain of Retama separates the black, basaltic, and earthlike lava, from the vitreous and feldsparry lava, the basis of which is obsidian, pitch-stone, and phonolite.

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

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

From The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, Charles

Clinkstone or phonolite is a greenish-gray, compact, felspathic rock, somewhat slaty or schistose, and weathers with a white crust.

From Geology by Geikie, James

At last we draw ourselves up a huge wedge of phonolite and find ourselves at the summit of the first peak.

From The Columbia River Its History, Its Myths, Its Scenery, Its Commerce by Lyman, William Denison