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Glite Dictionary
aphanite

aphanite

9.9
A hard volcanic rock with crystals too small to see
  • noun
  • /ˈæfəˌnaɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : afanita
  • Under the microscope, aphanite reveals its crystalline structure, which is invisible to the naked eye.

Examples

  • Geologists collected several samples of aphanite for further study in the laboratory.

  • The geologist identified the rock as aphanite.

  • Basalt is a common type of aphanite found in volcanic regions.

  • Many aphanites are found in volcanic regions.

  • Basalt is a common type of aphanite found in volcanic regions.

  • Geologists collected several samples of aphanite for further study in the laboratory.

  • Under the microscope, aphanite reveals its crystalline structure, which is invisible to the naked eye.

Surface Forms

aphanite singular
aphanites plural

Morphology

aphanite = aphanitic (opaque) = aphan + ite

The combining form 'aphan-' is a technical Greek-derived morpheme unfamiliar to average learners and the mineral-building suffix '-ite' yields a specialized geological noun, so the relation is not transparently inferable.

Etymology

Aphanite comes from Greek parts a- meaning 'not' and phanēs meaning 'seen', with the ending -ite meaning 'stone'. So aphanite literally means a 'stone that is not seen', which fits rocks whose crystals are too small to see with the naked eye.