tektite

[ tek-tahyt ]

noun

, Geology.

1. any of several kinds of small glassy bodies, in various forms, occurring in Australia and elsewhere, now believed to have been produced by the impact of meteorites on the earth's surface.

tektite

/ ˈtɛktaɪt /

noun

1. a small dark glassy object found in several areas around the world, thought to be a product of meteorite impact See also moldavite

tektite

/ tĕk′tīt′ /

1. Any of numerous dark-brown to green glassy objects, usually small (about the size of a walnut) and round with pitted surfaces. Tektites consist primarily (65% to 90%) of silica and have a very low water content. They are found in groups in several widely separated parts of the world and bear no relation to surrounding geologic formations. Some have shapes that show the kind of melting and deformation typical of objects that fall through the Earth's atmosphere. Tektites are believed to be of extraterrestrial origin or to have formed during high-velocity impacts on terrestrial rocks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tektite¹

1920–25; < Greek tēkt ( ós ) molten + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tektite¹

C20: from Greek tēktos molten

Example Sentences

Dr. Sieh and his colleagues began by studying data showing that Australasian tektites contain elements characteristic of the Laotian volcanic field.

From New York Times

Smaller particles lingered for longer periods, and glassy blobs known as tektites, formed when falling, molten rock cools, have been found across North America and dated to the Chicxulub impact.

From New York Times

Not only is zircon commonly found in tektites, but it is also a choice mineral for radiometric dating, thanks to some of its radioactive elemental components.

From Fox News

In fact, tektites are only known to exist in four geographical locations: Central Europe, Ivory Coast, Australasia, and Texas and Georgia in North America.

From Scientific American

The composition of those beads, or tektites, further suggests that they were formed when a massive asteroid slammed into the Earth with the force of 10 billion Hiroshimas and ended the Cretaceous period.

From Washington Post