xenolith

American  

[zen-l-ith] / ˈzɛn l ɪθ /

noun

Petrography.

1. a rock fragment foreign to the igneous rock in which it is embedded.

---

xenolith British  

/ ˈzɛnəlɪθ /

noun

1. a fragment of rock differing in origin, composition, structure, etc, from the igneous rock enclosing it

---

xenolith Scientific  

/ zĕn′ə-lĭth′,zē′nə- /

1. A rock fragment foreign to the igneous mass in which it occurs. Xenoliths usually become incorporated into a cooling magma body when pieces of the rock into which the magma was injected break off and fall into it.

2. Compare xenocryst

---

Other Word Forms

• xenolithic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of xenolith

First recorded in 1900–05; xeno- + -lith

Example Sentences

“Oh, look at this, this is really cool,” Penn says, picking up another rock with another white spot - a xenolith, he says, another fragment from the Earth’s crust.

From Washington Times • Mar. 24, 2018

A xenolith of diorite incorporated into a basalt lava flow, Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015