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porphyry Definition

por·phyry (pôr′fə rē)

noun pl. porphyries -·ries

  1. Historical an Egyptian rock with large feldspar crystals contained in a purplish groundmass
  2. any igneous rock with large, distinct crystals, esp. of alkali feldspar, embedded in a fine-grained matrix

Etymology: ME porfirie < OFr porfire < ML porphyreum, altered < L porphyrites < Gr porphyritēs (lithos), lit., purple (stone) < porphyros, purple

porphyry Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • mineralise: Detailed stream sediment and rock chip sampling led to the identification of mineralised porphyry with stronger copper than gold potential.

Adjective modifier

  • red: The principal substrata are, sandstone, amygdaloid alternated with trap, and red porphyry.

Modifies a noun

  • mineralization: North Lanut, Indonesia The 50,000 hectare tenement covers several areas prospective for epithermal and porphyry mineralization.
  • copper: The Company is exploring for copper on its porphyry copper mineral properties located in Macedonia.
  • deposit: Essentially, ' oxide ' copper minerals are absent ( as they are in most porphyry copper deposits in northern Peru and Ecuador ).
  • system: We conclude from this that the porphyry system is not disrupted.
  • complex: Into these units, a porphyry complex, the Rio Blanco Porphyry System, was intruded.
  • intrusion: Good access site to the granodiorite and rhyolitic porphyry intrusions of Slieve Gallion.

Noun used with modifier

  • copper: This license hosts at least eight gold prospects and copper molybdenum gold porphyry with recently discovered platinum group element potential and rare earth deposits.
  • feldspar: The porphyry complex has a quartz porphyry core ( exposed in Quebrada Majaz ), which intruded an earlier feldspar porphyry complex.
porphyry Quotes

For seasons change, And order, truth, and beauty range, Adjust, attract, and fill: The grass the polyanthus cheques; And polished porphyry reflects, By the descending rill.

—Smart, Christopher