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Glite Dictionary
tektite

tektite

1 9.9
A small piece of glass that forms when a meteor hits Earth
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛktaɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tektita
  • The museum features an exhibit showcasing tektites collected from various meteorite impact sites.
  • found tektites

Examples

  • Scientists believe that tektites provide important clues about the history of meteorite impacts on Earth.

  • So there's stuff called tektites, which are bits of refrozen debris from asteroids hitting the ground on the earth.

  • These strange solidified droplets, called "tektites," are found today scattered over much of Central Europe.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Tektite glass is terrestrial in isotopic composition; it is glassy ejecta from the impact crater.

    Blog text (13)

  • During our hike, we stumbled upon several tektites scattered among the rocks.

Synonyms

lechatelierite
vstektite
  • Specialized
9.9

A natural clear glass made mostly of sand when lightning or meteors melt it

refers to small rounded glass objects formed from molten terrestrial debris ejected by impacts

Surface Forms

tektite singular
tektites plural

Morphology

tektite = tekt + ite

The suffix '-ite' signals a mineral/rock type (helpful for learners), but the root 'tekt' is not a standalone English word and gives no clear meaning to learners.

Etymology

The word tektite comes from the Greek root tektos, which means 'molten' or 'melted'. So a tektite is literally a piece of 'melted' rock that cooled into glass after a meteorite hit, which is why it looks smooth and glassy.