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pegmatite

pegmatite

1 9.9
A coarse rock formed when hot melted rock cools with very large crystals often containing rare minerals
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛɡməˌtaɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pegmatita
  • During the hike, we stumbled upon a cliff made entirely of pegmatite, which glimmered in the sunlight.

Examples

  • In this region, the abundant pegmatite formations are known for their rich deposits of rare minerals.

  • 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...

  • We've got more pegmatite formations around here than any other county?

  • Nahum told me we got more pegmatite rock formations... Than any other county in the country.

  • Pegmatite.

  • The geologist examined a sample of pegmatite containing large quartz and feldspar crystals.

Synonyms

igneous rock
vspegmatite
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A hard, solid material that forms when hot, melted rock cools

is a specific coarse-grained type formed from rare-element rich magma

How Coarse

pegmatite
  • Specialized
1 9.9
fine-grained
1 4.4

Surface Forms

pegmatite singular
pegmatites plural

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.