rhyolite

[ rahy-uh-lahyt ]

/ ˈraɪ əˌlaɪt /

noun

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

Nearby words

Origin of rhyolite

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

Related formsrhy·o·lit·ic

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

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

Examples from the Web for rhyolite

It is not improbable that this was a quarry site; an outcrop of rhyolite is close at hand.
The Topanga Culture Final Report on Excavations, 1948|A. E. Treganza
There is no question that the rhyolite was deposited in Ely Central after the enrichment of the porphyry.
My Adventures with Your Money|George Graham Rice
"Better in the little cemetery at Rhyolite," answered the other.
The Boy With the U. S. Survey|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
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

The northwest corner is volcanic and is made up of rhyolite, obsidian, and lava.
The Rocky Mountain Wonderland|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 Formsrhyolitic (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

Science 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.