dunite

[ doo-nahyt, duhn-ahyt ]

noun

1. a coarse-grained igneous rock composed almost entirely of olivine.

dunite

/ ˈdʌnaɪt /

noun

1. an ultrabasic igneous rock consisting mainly of olivine

dunite

/ do̅o̅′nīt′,dŭn′īt′ /

1. A coarse-grained igneous rock that consists mainly of olivine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dunite¹

1865–70; named after Mt. Dun in New Zealand, where it is found; -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of dunite¹

C19: named after Dun Mountain, a mountain in New Zealand where it is abundant

Example Sentences

The research involved dunite, a coarse, dense type of igneous rock named after a mountain in New Zealand.

From Washington Post

Previous research suggests that dunite powder could one day be spread on croplands in a variety of geographic regions and be used to mitigate climate change in places such as India and Brazil.

From Washington Post

When the scientists soaked dunite in carbonized water, the minerals created reduced the rocks’ permeability at first.

From Washington Post

German scientists have been investigating the cooling potential of two types of rock: dunite and basalt.

From The Guardian

The Ural Mountain deposits of Russia are gold- and platinum-bearing placers, in streams which drain areas of dunite rock containing minute quantities of native platinum.

From Project Gutenberg