pluton

noun

plu·​ton ˈplü-ˌtän How to pronounce pluton (audio)
: a typically large body of intrusive igneous rock

Examples of pluton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Called a pluton by geologists, the Barre granite formation is calculated to be four miles long, two miles wide and 10 miles deep. Walter Nicklin, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 In Nevada, for instance, geologists find fibers associated with jagged landscape formed by plutons, which are huge rock formations caused by liquid magma forced upward into the cooler crust and then solidifying. Deborah Blum, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2014

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from plutonic

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pluton was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near pluton

Cite this Entry

“Pluton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pluton. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on pluton

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!