quartzite

[ kwawrt-sahyt ]

/ ˈkwɔrt saɪt /

Save This Word!

noun

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

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of quartzite

First recorded in 1840–50; quartz + -ite¹

OTHER WORDS FROM quartzite

quartz·it·ic

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

Words nearby quartzite

quartz clock, quartz crystal, quartz glass, quartziferous, quartz-iodine lamp, quartzite, quartz lamp, quartz movement, quartz plate, quasar, quasars

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quartzite in a sentence

Tutankhamun’s granite sarcophagus lid, a mismatch for the quartzite bottom, provides another clue to workers’ frenzied efforts.
King Tut’s tomb still has secrets to reveal 100 years after its discovery|Bruce Bower|November 2, 2022|Science News
Depicting Amenhotep in the style of Osiris, the statues stood 26 feet high and were carved from a single block of quartzite sandstone that came from hundreds of miles away.
Imagine traveling to the moon only to realize you’re allergic to it. One astronaut did.|PopSci Staff|November 25, 2020|Popular-Science
The rocks comprised weathered schists, quartzite, and granite—the last only in detached blocks.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Sven Hedin
The most elevated rock, in place, on the sources of the Mississippi, is found to be quartzite.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

Large, biface, quartzite tools are in association with the points, which are all made from quartzite.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron
Much of the flint and quartzite used at the Camp Creek Site has poor flaking qualities, resulting in a poorly manufactured point.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron
Of the nine measured examples, seven are made of black to gray local flint, one is quartzite and one chalcedony.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron

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

Scientific definitions for quartzite

quartzite

[ kwôrt′sīt′ ]

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