xenolith

noun

xe·​no·​lith ˈze-nə-ˌlith How to pronounce xenolith (audio) ˈzē- How to pronounce xenolith (audio)
: a fragment of a rock included in another rock
xenolithic adjective

Examples of xenolith 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.
Look for a 'turkey gobbler' rock, xenoliths (quartz crystals and other material embedded in boulders) and knife-edge slabs that have flaked off walls of granite. Mare Czinar, azcentral, 5 Mar. 2020 The surrounding landscape would be covered in volcanic ash and debris, some made of erupting magma, some made of chunks of mantle and crust xenoliths. Erik Klemetti, WIRED, 5 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of xenolith was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near xenolith

Cite this Entry

“Xenolith.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenolith. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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