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xenolith

[ zen-l-ith ]

noun

, Petrography.
  1. a rock fragment foreign to the igneous rock in which it is embedded.


xenolith

/ ˈzɛnəlɪθ /

noun

  1. a fragment of rock differing in origin, composition, structure, etc, from the igneous rock enclosing it
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

xenolith

/ zĕnə-lĭth′,zēnə- /

  1. A rock fragment foreign to the igneous mass in which it occurs. Xenoliths usually become incorporated into a cooling magma body when pieces of the rock into which the magma was injected break off and fall into it.
  2. Compare xenocryst
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Derived Forms

  • ˌxenoˈlithic, adjective
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Other Words From

  • xeno·lithic adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of xenolith1

First recorded in 1900–05; xeno- + -lith
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Example Sentences

“Oh, look at this, this is really cool,” Penn says, picking up another rock with another white spot - a xenolith, he says, another fragment from the Earth’s crust.

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xenograftxenomorphic