quartzite

[ kwawrt-sahyt ]

/ ˈkwɔrt saɪt /

noun

a granular metamorphic rock consisting essentially of quartz in interlocking grains.

Words nearby quartzite

quartz lamp, quartz movement, quartz plate, quartz-iodine lamp, quartziferous, quartzite, quasar, quasars, quash, quasheba, quashee

Origin of quartzite

First recorded in 1840–50; quartz + -ite¹

OTHER WORDS FROM quartzite

quartz·it·ic

[kwawrt-sit-ik] /kwɔrtˈsɪt ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for quartzite

Yet this is very far from being the fact, as some varieties of rock, such as quartzite, not unfrequently assume this shape.
Volcanoes: Past and Present|Edward Hull
The magnetic iron ore is associated with hornblende and quartzite.
A Report on Washington Territory|William Henry Ruffner
These patches make it clear that some formation younger than the quartzite once covered essentially all of the higher ridge.
The Geography of the Region about Devils Lake and the Dalles of the Wisconsin|Rollin D. Salisbury
Sandstone is changed into quartzite, the sand grains being melted so as to become no longer visible to the naked eye.
Earth and Sky Every Child Should Know|Julia Ellen Rogers

For furnace linings, the quartzite or ganister must be exceptionally pure.
The Economic Aspect of Geology|C. K. Leith

British Dictionary definitions for quartzite

quartzite

/ (ˈkwɔːtsaɪt) /

noun

a very hard metamorphic rock consisting of a mosaic of intergrown quartz crystals

a white or grey sandstone composed of quartz

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

Science definitions for quartzite

quartzite

[ kwôrt′sīt′ ]

A metamorphic rock consisting entirely of quartz. Quartzite forms when sandstone or chert are heated during metamorphism.