saprolite

American  

[sap-ruh-lahyt] / ˈsæp rəˌlaɪt /

noun

Petrography.

1. soft, disintegrated, usually more or less decomposed rock remaining in its original place.

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saprolite British  

/ ˈsæprəʊlɪt /

noun

1. a deposit of earth, clay, silt, etc, formed by decomposition of rocks that has remained in its original site

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saprolite Scientific  

/ săp′rə-līt′ /

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• saprolitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of saprolite

First recorded in 1890–95; sapro- + -lite

Example Sentences

Another is the brokerage’s projected saprolite and limonite sales volumes of 6.7 million wet metric tons and 1.4 million wet metric tons, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

In the lower zone, saprolite, scant organic material is mixed with largely unaltered parent rock.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017