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Glite Dictionary
batholithic

batholithic

9.9
Of a very large mass of hard rock formed when hot rock cools under the ground
  • adjective
  • /ˌbæθəˈlɪθɪk/
  • Specialized
: batolítico
  • Many granitic rocks from batholithic bodies contain crystals and crystal aggregates that differ texturally (and mineralogically) from the bulk of the enclosing rock.

Examples

  • The batholithic intrusion gave rise to a variety of minerals found in the surrounding area.

  • Geologists study the batholithic rock to understand its role in the Earth's crust.

  • The batholithic formation's size and composition make it a unique feature of the landscape.

Synonyms

batholitic
vsbatholithic
  • UK
9.9

Describing very large hard rock that forms underground when melted rock cools

is the same meaning but uses the other less common spelling

Surface Forms

batholithic positive

Morphology

batholithic = batholith (transparent) = batholith + ic

Formed by the regular adjectival suffix '-ic' added to the noun 'batholith'; the adjective straightforwardly means 'relating to a batholith'.

Etymology

Batholithic comes from Greek parts batho- meaning 'deep' and -lithic from lithos meaning 'stone', the same 'lith' you see in monolith. So a batholithic mass is like a very large 'deep stone' — a huge body of rock made when hot liquid rock cools under the ground, which is why the word describes large underground rock formations.