argillaceous

American  

[ahr-juh-lay-shuhs] / ˌɑr dʒəˈleɪ ʃəs /

adjective

1. Geology, Petrology. of the nature of or resembling clay; clayey.

2. containing a considerable amount of clayey matter.

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argillaceous British  

/ ˌɑːdʒɪˈleɪʃəs /

adjective

1. (of sedimentary rocks and deposits) composed of very fine-grained material, such as clay, shale, etc Compare arenaceous rudaceous

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Etymology

Origin of argillaceous

First recorded in 1725–35, argillaceous is from the Latin word argillāceus clayish. See argil, -aceous

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

argillaceous

Geologist Paula Messina showed that the ground is covered by argillaceous sediments and bacterial mats, forming under wet conditions a very slippery surface.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 22, 2013

The girls ticked off aquarellist, staphylococcic, gracilescent, adscititious, eupraxia, argillaceous, autochthan and umbelliferous.

From Time Magazine Archive

The southern coast, as we have already said, consists of a long narrow strip of argillaceous schist and detritus, with a very steep inclination, and overtopped throughout its length by high cliffs of jura limestone.

From Travels in the Steppes of the Caspian Sea, the Crimea, the Caucasus, &c. by Xavier Hommaire de Hell

Bugeo, which contains argillaceous loam, mixed with carbonate of lime, some quartz ore sand, and a large proportion of vegetable mould.—"History of Modern Wines," by Dr. Alexander Henderson, p.

From Wild Spain (Espa?a agreste) Records of Sport with Rifle, Rod, and Gun, Natural History Exploration by Walter J. Buck

The south-eastern end of the dam abuts on the hill of hard, fine-grained, argillaceous sandstone in which the lock-site is being excavated.

From The Panama Canal and its Makers by Vaughan Cornish

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