rhyolite

American  

[rahy-uh-lahyt] / ˈraɪ əˌlaɪt /

noun

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

---

rhyolite British  

/ ˈraɪəˌlaɪt /

noun

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

---

rhyolite Scientific  

/ rī′ə-līt′ /

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

---

Other Word Forms

• rhyolitic
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of rhyolite

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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhyolite

The rest spilled across this ancient seabed and formed a fine-grained rhyolite.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 9, 2021

Watching these subtle changes could also help with predicting future rhyolite eruptions.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 14, 2021

Storage and eruption of near-liquidus rhyolite magma at Cordon Caulle, Chile.

From Nature ● Dec. 12, 2017

In the narration, Smithson mentions, “I’m not interested in excavation,” an operation that sets what he did apart from Mr. Heizer, who displaced 240,000 tons of rhyolite and sandstone when he created “Double Negative.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2017

The oldest volcanic rock appears to be rhyolite, which peers up in two small hills almost smothered beneath the lake deposits.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Edward Hull

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---