trachyte

American  

[trey-kahyt, trak-ahyt] / ˈtreɪ kaɪt, ˈtræk aɪt /

noun

1. a fine-grained volcanic rock consisting essentially of alkali feldspar and one or more subordinate minerals, as hornblende or mica: the extrusive equivalent of syenite.

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trachyte British  

/ ˈtrækɪˌtɔɪd, ˈtræ-, ˈtreɪ-, ˈtreɪkaɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured fine-grained volcanic rock of rough texture consisting of feldspars with small amounts of pyroxene or amphibole

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trachyte Scientific  

/ trā′kīt′,trăk′īt′ /

1. A light-colored, fine-grained igneous rock consisting primarily of alkali feldspar together with some mafic minerals, especially hornblende. Unlike most igneous rocks, trachyte has little or no quartz. Trachyte is the fine-grained equivalent of syenite.

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Other Word Forms

• trachytic
  adjective
• trachytoid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trachyte

1815–25; < French < Greek trāchýtēs roughness, equivalent to trāchý ( s ) rough + -tēs noun suffix

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trachyte

Now, after years of protests and problems, the city has decided to replace the translucent glass with less slippery — and less glamorous — trachyte stone.

From New York Times ● Jan. 2, 2022

There are numerous varieties of lava, such as basalt, obsidian, pitchstone, pearlstone, trachyte, &c.; some are heavy compact rocks, others are light and porous.

From Geology by Geikie, James

The trachyte is generally a compact mass of grey feldstein, which contains crystals of glassy feldspar, irregularly embedded, and in different quantities.

From The Highlands of Ethiopia by Harris, William Cornwallis

The bastion consists, like the semicircular escarpment of Somma turned towards Vesuvius, of precipitous cliffs, composed of trachyte, basalt, coarse conglomerates, and tuffs, traversed by volcanic dikes, mostly vertical, and of 440 basalt.

From Principles of Geology or, The Modern Changes of the Earth and its Inhabitants Considered as Illustrative of Geology by Lyell, Charles, Sir

Dr., on springs, 237.——, on Mount Vultur, 356.——, on Vesuvius, 380.——, on decomposition of trachyte, 385.——, on flowing of lava under water, 383.——, on volcanoes, 548, 549, 550, 551.D'Aubuisson cited, 58, 411.Davis,

From Principles of Geology or, The Modern Changes of the Earth and its Inhabitants Considered as Illustrative of Geology by Lyell, Charles, Sir