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pyroxenite

American  
[pahy-rok-suh-nahyt, puh-] / paɪˈrɒk səˌnaɪt, pə- /

noun

Petrology.
  1. any rock composed essentially, or in large part, of pyroxene of any kind.


pyroxenite British  
/ paɪˈrɒksɪˌnaɪt /

noun

  1. a very dark coarse-grained ultrabasic rock consisting entirely of pyroxene minerals

"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

Etymology

Origin of pyroxenite

First recorded in 1860–65; pyroxene + -ite 1

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.

For example, Mauna Loa contains higher proportions of an igneous rock called pyroxenite, which comes from subducted ocean crust that typically melts at deeper levels than the model suggests.

From New York Times

Chromite is a common minor constituent of basic igneous rocks of the peridotite and pyroxenite type.

From Project Gutenberg