rhyolite

[ rahy-uh-lahyt ]

noun

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

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

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

How to use rhyolite in a sentence

Intrepid travelers can ice climb its namesake feature, hike through glassy frozen caves, or trek through Iceland’s dormant volcanoes and remote rhyolite mountains.
The 30 Best National Parks in the World | Patty Hodapp | February 25, 2022 | Outside Online
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

Origin of rhyolite

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

Derived forms of rhyolite

rhyolitic (ˌraɪəˈlɪtɪk), adjective

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.

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