chondrite
- noun
- /ˈkɒnˌdraɪt/
- Specialized
- Of all meteorites, carbonaceous chondrites have compositions that most closely resemble the Sun's.
- carbonaceous chondrites
- stony chondrite
- ordinary chondrite
Examples
-
After collecting an iron meteorite, a stony chondrite would be a wise second choice.
Academic text (2001) -
My recommendation is the Type 3 carbonaceous chondrite Allende meteorite, which fell on February 8, 1969, over Allende, Mexico.
Academic text (2001) -
Many other fresh chondrite meteorites are available.
Academic text (2001) -
2007 PA was a typical carbonaceous chondrite asteroid.
Fiction book (2001) -
It's an aggregate of chondrites, little stones, held together by gravity.
Fiction book (2001) -
There is more Allende carbonaceous chondrite than all other carbonaceous chondrite material combined.
Academic text (2001) -
Like other carbonaceous chondrites, Tagish Lake is rich in carbon and water, both necessary ingredients for life.
Academic text (2001) -
If you want a meteorite with chondrules, seek out certain types of stony chondrites.
Academic text (2001) -
Primitive meteorites known as chondrites are thought to best represent that raw material condensed from the solar nebula.
Academic text (2005) -
The dust studied by the researchers was obtained from chondrite samples found in Northwest Africa.
Synonyms
A piece of rock or metal from space that falls to Earth
A rock or metal piece from space that falls to Earth
A stone from space that fell to Earth and is made mostly of rock minerals
Surface Forms
Morphology
chondrite = chondr + ite
The root 'chondr' is a Greek combining form (not a standalone English word) and '-ite' is a mineral/rock suffix, so the components are technical and will not help a typical B1 learner infer the meaning.
Etymology
Chondrite comes from the Greek root chondr-, meaning 'grain', and the ending -ite, which we use for 'rock' or 'mineral', as in graphite. So a chondrite is a stony meteorite full of small round grains, and that image helps you remember what these meteorites look like.