saprolite
soft, disintegrated, usually more or less decomposed rock remaining in its original place.
Origin of saprolite
1Other words from saprolite
- sap·ro·lit·ic [sap-ruh-lit-ik], /ˌsæp rəˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective
Words Nearby saprolite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for saprolite
/ (ˈsæprəʊlɪt) /
a deposit of earth, clay, silt, etc, formed by decomposition of rocks that has remained in its original site
Derived forms of saprolite
- saprolitic, 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 saprolite
[ săp′rə-līt′ ]
Soft, thoroughly decomposed and porous rock, often rich in clay, formed by the in-place chemical weathering of igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rocks. Saprolite is especially common in humid and tropical climates. It is usually reddish brown or grayish white and contains those structures (such as cross-stratification) that were present in the original rock from which it formed.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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