syenite

American  

[sahy-uh-nahyt] / ˈsaɪ əˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a granular igneous rock consisting chiefly of orthoclase and oligoclase with hornblende, biotite, or augite.

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syenite British  

/ ˈsaɪəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured coarse-grained plutonic igneous rock consisting of feldspars with hornblende or biotite

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syenite Scientific  

/ sī′ə-nīt′ /

1. A light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting primarily of alkali feldspar together with some mafic minerals, especially hornblende. Unlike most igneous rocks, syenite has little or no quartz. It is believed to form from the cooling of magma that forms at very high temperatures and at great depths. It is the coarse-grained equivalent of trachyte.

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Other Word Forms

• syenitic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of syenite

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Latin syēnītēs (lapis) “(stone) of Syene” (the ancient name of Aswan, an Egyptian city on the Nile), from Greek syēnī́tēs (líthos); see -ite ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

syenite

Rocks labeled as ‘granite’ in laymen applications can be several other rocks, including syenite, tonalite, and monzonite.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Most of these tracks end behind large boulders of dolostone or syenite, some however start and end without an apparent object nearby.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 22, 2013

The marvel itself presently became visible in a large expanse of syenite rock, greatly resembling that in the Oderwald of Hesse.

From Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume II (Commodore B. Von Wullerstorf-Urbair,) Undertaken by Order of the Imperial Government in the Years 1857, 1858, & 1859, Under the Immediate Auspices of His I. and R. Highness the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, Commander-In-Chief of the Austrian Navy. by Karl Ritter von Scherzer

These are worked in brown basalt, syenite, porphyry, alabaster and limestone.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 1 "Edwardes" to "Ehrenbreitstein" by Various

These have very much the same composition as acid igneous rocks such as granite, aplite, hornblende granite, or intermediate rocks such as syenite and quartz diorite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various

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