Recent Examples on the WebThis magma then pushed through the cracks in the rocks around it, cooling and crystallizing over millions of years to form Spruce Pine’s bounty of pegmatites—igneous rock that’s chock-full of quartz crystals.—Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024 The two main companies at the Spruce Pine pegmatite complex—roughly 40 kilometers long by 16 kilometers wide, according to a 1962 survey—are Quartz Corp and Unimim, a subsidiary of the global industrial minerals company SCR-Sibelco, based in Belgium.—Tommy Greene, WIRED, 1 Oct. 2024 Though the Iapetus Ocean died, due to a process called subduction in which dense, oceanic crust sinks back into the earth’s mantle, some pieces of pegmatite were thrust up and preserved for study for experts and amateurs alike.—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2024 The hinges and folds of these rocks were — pun intended — rock-solid, but the nearby pegmatite crumbled in our hands with little effort.—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2024 Lithium is extracted from spodumene found in the granite rock called pegmatite.—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pegmatite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French, from Greek pēgmat-, pēgma something fastened together, from pēgnynai to fasten together — more at pact
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