oolite

[ oh-uh-lahyt ]

noun

, Geology.

1. a limestone composed of minute rounded concretions resembling fish roe, in some places altered to ironstone by replacement with iron oxide.

oolite

/ ˌəʊəˈlɪtɪk; ˈəʊəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. any sedimentary rock, esp limestone, consisting of tiny spherical concentric grains within a fine matrix

oolite

/ ō′ə-līt′ /

1. A sedimentary rock consisting of ooliths that are cemented together by calcium carbonate.

Derived Forms

• oolitic, adjective

Other Words From

• o·o·lit·ic [oh-, uh, -, lit, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oolite¹

1775–85; (< French oölithe ) < New Latin oölithēs. See oo-, -lite

Word History and Origins

Origin of oolite¹

C18: from French from New Latin oolitēs, literally: egg stone; probably a translation of German Rogenstein roe stone

Example Sentences

The arrival of Art Basel, he said, “was a stab of adrenaline that instigated a lot of effort,” including the city’s own public and private museums, nonprofit organizations like Oolite Arts and Locust Projects, and, not least, the creation of freshly minted homegrown collectors.

From New York Times

The fossils, rare soils and almost alien rock formations it left behind remain a draw for hikers at the Shoofly Oolite Interpretive Trail in Owyhee County, the Idaho Statesman reported.

From Washington Times

The Shoofly Oolite - named for nearby Shoofly Creek - is one of the largest ooid formations in the world, according to the BLM.

From Washington Times

You can sit in the round craters hollowed out of heaped oolite domes or climb along rolling expanses of craggy rock.

From Washington Times

Even the landscape surrounding the oolite structures is fascinating.

From Washington Times