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.

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schist British  

/ ʃɪˈstɒsɪtɪ, ʃɪst /

noun

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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

• schistose
  adjective
• schistosity
  noun

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

The river has been flowing in its course for millions of years, downcutting through layers of sandstone, limestone, granite, shale and schist to form the Grand Canyon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2023

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

She and her friends crept a little farther down the schist and kept watching.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan