trachyte

[ trey-kahyt, trak-ahyt ]

/ ˈtreɪ kaɪt, ˈtræk aɪt /

noun

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.

Nearby words

trachomatous panniculus, trachy-, trachybasalt, trachycarpous, trachyspermous, trachyte, trachytic, tracing, tracing paper, tracing tape, track

Origin of trachyte

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

Related forms

tra·chyt·ic

[truh-kit-ik] /trəˈkɪt ɪk/, trach·y·toid

[trak-i-toid, trey-ki-] /ˈtræk ɪˌtɔɪd, ˈtreɪ kɪ-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for trachytic

The trachytic rocks are small in quantity compared with those of the basaltic class.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 3|Various
Some of the trachytic lavas are said to abound with crystals of albite.
Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume I|Karl Ritter von Scherzer
These trachytic lavas would seem to be more ancient than the basaltic, previously described.
Volcanoes: Past and Present|Edward Hull
They are laccolites of trachytic rock, and raised the Tertiary beds above them in the form of blisters.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various

This mountain appears to be formed mainly of trachytic matter.
Volcanoes: Past and Present|Edward Hull

British Dictionary definitions for trachytic (1 of 2)

trachytic

/ (trəˈkɪtɪk) /

adjective

(of the texture of certain igneous rocks) characterized by a parallel arrangement of crystals, which mark the flow of the lava when still molten

British Dictionary definitions for trachytic (2 of 2)

trachyte

/ (ˈtreɪkaɪt, ˈtræ-) /

noun

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

Derived Forms

trachytoid (ˈtrækɪˌtɔɪd, ˈtreɪ-), adjective

Word Origin for trachyte

C19: from French, from Greek trakhutēs, from trakhus rough

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for trachytic

trachyte

[ trā′kīt′, trăk′īt′ ]

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.