pegmatite
- noun
- /ˈpɛɡməˌtaɪt/
- Specialized
- During the hike, we stumbled upon a cliff made entirely of pegmatite, which glimmered in the sunlight.
Examples
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In this region, the abundant pegmatite formations are known for their rich deposits of rare minerals.
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The walls and ceiling in the narrow, hollowed-out chamber were pink rose quartz studded with metre-long, light green pegmatite crystals.
Fiction book (1996) -
I mean, it does have more pegmatite rock formations...
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We've got more pegmatite formations around here than any other county?
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Nahum told me we got more pegmatite rock formations... Than any other county in the country.
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Pegmatite.
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The geologist examined a sample of pegmatite containing large quartz and feldspar crystals.
Synonyms
A hard, solid material that forms when hot, melted rock cools
How Coarse
Surface Forms
Morphology
pegmatite = pegmat + ite
The combining form 'pegmat-' is a technical Greek-derived root not recognizable to typical learners; while '-ite' marks a mineral, the overall meaning cannot be derived from familiar English components.
Etymology
The word pegmatite comes from the Greek word pegma, which means 'a mass' or 'something fixed together'. So a pegmatite is a rock made of very large crystals joined into a solid mass, which is why miners often find rare minerals in it.