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clast

clast

1 9.9
A piece of rock inside gravel or sandstone
  • noun
  • /klæst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : clasto
  • During the field trip, we collected several clasts to study their characteristics more closely.

Examples

  • And the hold clast are known

  • Excavations showed ridges built predominantly of chert nodules and clasts.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The geologist examined the small clast embedded in the sedimentary rock.

  • Sedimentary rocks are often composed of various sizes of clasts, including gravel and sand.

How Big

boulder
191 2.2
cobble
  • Archaic
5 7.7
clast
  • Specialized
1 9.9
pebble
64 1.0
particle
  • Specialized
447 4.2

Surface Forms

clast singular
clasts plural

Etymology

The word clast comes from the Greek root klast-, which means 'broken'. In geology a clast is a broken piece of rock, so the origin helps you remember it is a piece found in sediment or gravel.