Basalt Definition

bə-sôlt, bāsôlt
basalts
noun
A hard, dense, dark igneous rock composed chiefly of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and olivine, and often having a glassy appearance.
American Heritage
A dark, fine-grained, usually extrusive igneous rock that is more basic than andesite, consisting chiefly of plagioclase feldspars and pyroxene: often found in vast sheets, it is the most common extrusive igneous rock.
Webster's New World
A kind of hard unglazed pottery.
American Heritage
A kind of unglazed, black pottery designed by Josiah Wedgwood.
Webster's New World

(mineralogy) A hard mafic igneous rock of varied mineral content; volcanic in origin, it makes up much of the Earth's oceanic crust.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Basalt

Noun

Singular:
basalt
Plural:
basalts

Origin of Basalt

  • From Late Latin basaltes, a misspelling of Latin basanites, from Ancient Greek βασανίτης (basanitēs), from βάσανος (basanos, “touchstone”), from Egyptian

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin basaltēs alteration of basanītēs touchstone from Greek basanītēs (lithos) from basanos Egyptian bḫn graywacke

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • bawḥan 'slate'.

    From Wiktionary

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