rhyolite

[ rahy-uh-lahyt ]

/ ˈraɪ əˌlaɪt /

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noun

a fine-grained igneous rock rich in silica: the volcanic equivalent of granite.

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Origin of rhyolite

1865–70; rhyo- (irregular <Greek rhýax stream of lava) + -lite

OTHER WORDS FROM rhyolite

rhy·o·lit·ic

[rahy-uh-lit-ik], /ˌraɪ əˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby rhyolite

rhyme scheme, rhymester, rhyming slang, rhynchocephalian, rhynchophore, rhyolite, Rhys, rhythm, rhythm-and-blues, rhythm band, rhythmic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use rhyolite in a sentence

This is shown in the glaciated rock-surfaces of the rim that are covered with layers of pumice and rhyolite.
Your National Parks|Enos A. Mills
Granite is an acidic rock corresponding to rhyolite in chemical composition.
The Elements of Geology|William Harmon Norton
The oldest volcanic rock appears to be rhyolite, which peers up in two small hills almost smothered beneath the lake deposits.
Volcanoes: Past and Present|Edward Hull
Basalt is less siliceous than granite and rhyolite, and contains much more iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Geology|William J. Miller

Rhyolite and other forms of lava were last spread over the region.
Your National Parks|Enos A. Mills

British Dictionary definitions for rhyolite

rhyolite

/ (ˈraɪəˌlaɪt) /

noun

a fine-grained igneous rock consisting of quartz, feldspars, and mica or amphibole. It is the volcanic equivalent of granite

Derived forms of rhyolite

rhyolitic (ˌraɪəˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for rhyolite

C19: rhyo- from Greek rhuax a stream of lava + lite

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 rhyolite

rhyolite

[ rī′ə-līt′ ]

A usually light-colored, fine-grained extrusive igneous rock that is compositionally similar to granite. It often includes flow lines formed during the extrusion.