concretion

[ kon-kree-shuhn, kong- ]

noun

1. the act or process of concreting or becoming substantial; coalescence; solidification.
2. the state of being concreted.
3. a solid mass formed by or as if by coalescence or cohesion:

   a concretion of melted candies.

4. anything that is made real, tangible, or particular.
5. Pathology. a solid or calcified mass in the body formed by a disease process.
6. Geology. a rounded mass of mineral matter occurring in sandstone, clay, etc., often in concentric layers about a nucleus.

concretion

/ kənˈkriːʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of coming or growing together; coalescence
2. a solid or solidified mass
3. something made real, tangible, or specific
4. any of various rounded or irregular mineral masses formed by chemical precipitation around a nucleus, such as a bone or shell, that is different in composition from the sedimentary rock that surrounds it
5. pathol another word for calculus

Derived Forms

• conˈcretionary, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of concretion¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin concrētiōn- (stem of concrētiō ); concrete, -ion

Example Sentences

To find a solution, lead researcher Hidekazu Yoshida of the Nagoya University Museum turned to his expertise in fossil preservation in calcium carbonate concretions.

From Science Daily

The present fossil was discovered in a clay-ironstone concretion in the 1980s by Bob Masek and later acquired by the David and Sandra Douglass Collection and displayed in their Prehistoric Life Museum.

From Science Daily

Farrell is scouring 158 years of “concretion” from one of history’s most famous weapons.

From Washington Post

Rock formations called concretions hid the fossils inside, like chocolate tucked in a candy shell.

From Washington Post

But on a return trip, he split open small boulders called concretions—and found dozens of skulls.

From Science Magazine