phyllite

American  

[fil-ahyt] / ˈfɪl aɪt /

noun

1. a slaty rock, the cleavage planes of which have a luster imparted by minute scales of mica.

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phyllite British  

/ fɪˈlɪtɪk, ˈfɪlaɪt /

noun

1. a compact lustrous metamorphic rock, rich in mica, derived from a shale or other clay-rich rock

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phyllite Scientific  

/ fĭl′īt′ /

1. A green, gray, or red metamorphic rock, similar to slate but often having a wavy surface and a distinctive luster imparted by the presence of mica.

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Other Word Forms

• phyllitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of phyllite

First recorded in 1820–30; phyll- + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

phyllite

Two years ago, I scrambled into a six-foot-deep soil pit dug into this hillside to examine the crumbling phyllite rock just below the topsoil.

From Washington Post ● May 10, 2019

The sequence slate → phyllite → schist → gneiss illustrates an increasing metamorphic grade.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

The rock sequence is sedimentary rock, slate, phyllite, schist, gneiss, migmatite, and granite.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Foliation is a key feature of metamorphic rocks formed under directed pressure; foliated metamorphic rocks include slate, phyllite, schist, and gneiss.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Forty-six miles above Seal Lake an exposure of phyllite was seen, the same in every respect as the one east of Seal Lake, just mentioned.

From The Long Labrador Trail by Wallace, Dillon