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pisolitic

pisolitic

9.9
A rock or mineral that has many small round, pea-sized grains
  • adjective
  • /ˌpaɪsəˈlɪtɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pisolítico
  • Wow! Look at that pisolitic stone!

Examples

  • A pisolitic structure is common in some iron ore deposits.

  • The sample's pisolitic appearance helped confirm its mineral composition.

  • The geologist identified the bauxite as pisolitic due to its rounded grains.

  • This rock is pisolitic.

  • Geologists examined the pisolitic layers in the sedimentary rock to better understand its formation.

  • The soil displayed a unique pisolitic texture, characterized by small, round concretions.

  • When studying mineral formations, they noted several pisolitic structures that caught their attention.

Synonyms

pebbly
vspisolitic
1 3.2

Covered with many small round stones

has pea sized rounded internal concretions instead of loose stones

Surface Forms

pisolitic positive

Morphology

pisolitic = lith (opaque) = piso + lit + ic

The term 'piso' is not a standalone English word and relates to 'pea' in form, but the connection is not transparent to learners.

Etymology

Pisolitic comes from the root pisum, which means 'pea' and is the same idea as the English word pea. So a pisolitic rock has many small, round, 'pea'-sized lumps, which is why the word describes that texture.