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rhyolite

[rahy-uh-lahyt]
noun
  1. 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
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. 2018

Examples from the Web for rhyolitic

Historical Examples

  • Then came the period of rhyolitic flows, the centers of volcanic activity being as before Mts.

    The Yellowstone National Park

    Hiram Martin Chittenden

British Dictionary definitions for rhyolitic

rhyolite

noun
  1. a fine-grained igneous rock consisting of quartz, feldspars, and mica or amphibole. It is the volcanic equivalent of granite
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Derived Formsrhyolitic (ˌraɪəˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin

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
rhyolitic in Science

rhyolite

[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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.