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quartzite

American  
[kwawrt-sahyt] / ˈkwɔrt saɪt /

noun

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

quartzite British  
/ ˈkwɔːtsaɪt /

noun

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

  2. 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
quartzite Scientific  
/ kwôrt′sīt′ /

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

Other Word Forms

  • quartzitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of quartzite

First recorded in 1840–50; quartz + -ite 1

Vocabulary lists containing quartzite

Rocks and Minerals - Middle School and High School

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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.

The process to make solar wafers starts with polysilicon, an ultrapure substance made from quartzite.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

“A chef’s kitchen, complete with quartzite countertops, custom cabinetry, and high-end appliances, adds contemporary flair,” the listing adds.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 10, 2025

Here, Hublin's team uncovered chips from flint tools and a quartzite flake consistent with the LRJ technocomplex.

From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2024

What remains of the Guadalperal complex is a ring of quartzite, 117 feet in diameter, surrounding 144 jagged granite standing stones, many of which are no longer standing.

From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2022

Ranofer, scrubbing away with sandstone at a chunk of quartzite, dared not glance around when Gebu paused beside a half-finished stone coffin only a few feet away from him.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.