syenite

[ sahy-uh-nahyt ]

noun

1. a granular igneous rock consisting chiefly of orthoclase and oligoclase with hornblende, biotite, or augite.

syenite

/ ˌsaɪəˈnɪtɪk; ˈsaɪəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured coarse-grained plutonic igneous rock consisting of feldspars with hornblende or biotite

syenite

/ sī′ə-nīt′ /

1. A light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting primarily of alkali feldspar together with some mafic minerals, especially hornblende. Unlike most igneous rocks, syenite has little or no quartz. It is believed to form from the cooling of magma that forms at very high temperatures and at great depths. It is the coarse-grained equivalent of trachyte.

Derived Forms

• syenitic, adjective

Other Words From

• sy·e·nit·ic [sahy-, uh, -, nit, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of syenite¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Latin syēnītēs (lapis) “(stone) of Syene” (the ancient name of Aswan, an Egyptian city on the Nile), from Greek syēnī́tēs (líthos); -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of syenite¹

C18: from French syénite, from Latin syēnītēs lapis stone from Syene (Aswan), where it was originally quarried

Example Sentences

Jemisin weaves this story with two others: a young girl named Damaya who’s just been sent to the Fulcrum, and a woman named Syenite who’s about to leave for her first mission.

From The Verge

Jemisin lyrically narrates the lives of three orogene women: Essun, whose son has just been brutally murdered by her husband; Damaya, a young girl taken from her home to be trained by a vicious Guardian; and Syenite, who must breed with one of the most powerful orogenes.

From Washington Post

Most of these tracks end behind large boulders of dolostone or syenite, some however start and end without an apparent object nearby.

From Scientific American

An obelisk of rough-hewn syenite bears his portrait, modelled in relief by Gustav Blaesar.

From Project Gutenberg

Amphibole is a constituent of many crystalline rocks, as syenite, diorite, most varieties of trachyte, etc.

From Project Gutenberg