schist

American  

[shist] / ʃɪst /

noun

1. any of a class of crystalline metamorphic rocks whose constituent mineral grains have a more or less parallel or foliated arrangement.

---

schist British  

/ ʃɪst /

noun

1. any metamorphic rock that can be split into thin layers because its micaceous minerals have become aligned in thin parallel bands

---

schist Scientific  

/ shĭst /

1. A highly foliated, medium-grained metamorphic rock that splits easily into flakes or slabs along well-defined planes of mica. The mineral composition of schist is varied and is often reflected in the name given to the rock. For example, a schist that contains garnet is called a garnet schist. A schist containing chlorite is called a chlorite schist.

---

Other Word Forms

• schistosity
  noun
• schistose
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of schist

1775–85; < New Latin schistus, Latin ( lapis ) schistos < Greek schistós divided, curdled, divisible, derivative of schízein to split, with -tos adj. suffix

---

Compare meaning

How does schist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• schist vs. gneiss

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

schist

On schist foundations, cautious engineers knew to build in safety features like a series of cut-off trenches and drainage pipes — a step Mulholland had neglected.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Crystals within the Manhattan schist link urban modernity to deep antiquity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Bronze Age ceramics, the oldest pieces in the show, are shown alongside miniature paintings, silver plates and a large variety of sculptures in stucco and schist rock.

From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2022

But this one is lean and focused — it seems to speak directly from the schist vineyard soils.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 18, 2022

And she couldn’t shake the dreadful feeling that if she hadn’t summoned that schist, she’d be a captive of the giant right now.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---