pegmatite

noun

peg·​ma·​tite ˈpeg-mə-ˌtīt How to pronounce pegmatite (audio)
: a coarse variety of granite occurring in dikes or veins
pegmatitic adjective

Examples of pegmatite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This 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

First Known Use

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pegmatite was circa 1828

Dictionary Entries Near pegmatite

Cite this Entry

“Pegmatite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pegmatite. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pegmatite

noun
peg·​ma·​tite ˈpeg-mə-ˌtīt How to pronounce pegmatite (audio)
: a grainy variety of granite that occurs in layers in rock

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