argillite

[ ahr-juh-lahyt ]

noun

1. any compact sedimentary rock composed mainly of clay materials; clay stone.

argillite

/ ˈɑːdʒɪˌlaɪt; ˌɑːdʒɪˈlɪtɪk /

noun

1. any argillaceous rock, esp a hardened mudstone

argillite

/ är′jə-līt′ /

1. A highly compacted sedimentary or slightly metamorphic rock consisting primarily of particles of clay or silt. Argillite differs from mudstone in that it does not have the same fine laminations, and from shale and slate in that it is not fissile.

Derived Forms

• argillitic, adjective

Other Words From

• ar·gil·lit·ic [ahr-j, uh, -, lit, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of argillite¹

1785–95; < Latin argill ( a ) argil + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of argillite¹

C18: from Latin argilla clay (from Greek argillos ) + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Winding paths of decomposed granite descend into the garden, where loosely arranged vertical slabs of argillite rock — a “living wall” — create pockets for vegetation to grow and animals to inhabit.

From Los Angeles Times

Their Wall Street curled out of sight into a jumbled black terminus of precariously perched argillite boulders and other worthless rock till feeding the McKinley River.

From The Guardian

The stone floor in the dining room includes argillite, imprinted with ripples carved by the sea that covered Glacier one and a half billion years ago.

From Washington Times

France plans to start storing waste underground from 2025 at Bure, in a remote and picturesque part of eastern France, chosen for its thick layers of argillite rock and low population density.

From Scientific American

Near the upper end of the camp, Avalanche Creek has cut a deep, narrow gorge through brilliant red argillite.

From Project Gutenberg