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Glite Dictionary
cherty

cherty

1 9.9
Containing many small hard bits that look like glass
  • adjective
  • /ˈtʃɜrti/
  • Specialized
: de sílex
  • The geologist noted that the outcrop was composed of cherty limestone.

Examples

  • This region is known for its cherty soils, which affect local vegetation.

  • The rock had a cherty texture.

  • Several cherty layers could be seen running parallel to the rest of the formation.

  • Is this formation cherty or limestone?

  • The geologist identified the cherty rocks as indicators of ancient marine environments.

  • The topsoil in this area is cherty, which can make farming challenging.

  • In their study, the researchers labeled the sediment as cherty due to its hardness and texture.

Surface Forms

cherty positive

Morphology

cherty = chert (transparent) = chert + y

Formed by productive adjectival suffix '-y' added to the noun 'chert', yielding 'containing or resembling chert' in a straightforward way.

Etymology

The word cherty comes from chert, the name of a hard 'flint-like' rock, and the ending -y means 'full of' or 'like'. So, cherty means 'containing or like chert', which is why geologists use it for rocks and soils with lots of this hard material.