Showing results for phonolite. Search instead for phonolites.

phonolite

American

[fohn-l-ahyt] / ˈfoʊn lˌaɪt /

noun

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

phonolite British

/ ˈfəʊnəˌlaɪt /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

phonolitic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of phonolite

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

phonolite

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

From Nature ● Dec. 12, 2017

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

From Geology by James Geikie

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

From The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin

It is composed of phonolite, divided in one part into great curved laminae, in another, into angular concretionary balls, and in a third part into outwardly radiating columns.

From Volcanic Islands by Charles Darwin

It is formed of basalt, trachyte and phonolite, and the soil is very fertile.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3 "Fenton, Edward" to "Finistere" by Various

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023