lithic

¹

[ lith-ik ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or consisting of stone.
2. Petrology. pertaining to clastic rocks, either sedimentary or volcanic, containing a large proportion of debris from previously formed rocks:

   a lithic sandstone; lithic tuff.

3. Pathology. pertaining to stony concretions, or calculi, formed within the body, especially in the bladder.
4. Chemistry. of, relating to, or containing lithium.

noun

1. Archaeology. a stone artifact.

-lithic

²

1. a combining form used in the names of cultural phases in archaeology characterized by the use of stone tools: Chalcolithic; Neolithic.
2. a combining form meaning “of or relating to stone,” used to form adjectives: megalithic; monolithic.

-lithic

¹

combining form

1. (in anthropology) relating to the use of stone implements in a specified cultural period

   Neolithic

lithic

²

/ ˈlɪθɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or composed of stone
2. containing abundant fragments of previously formed rock

   a lithic sandstone

3. pathol of or relating to a calculus or calculi, esp one in the urinary bladder
4. of or containing lithium

Other Words From

• lithi·cal·ly adverb
• pre·lithic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lithic¹

First recorded in 1790–1800, lithic is from the Greek word lithikós of stone. See lith-, -ic

Origin of lithic²

lithic

Word History and Origins

Origin of lithic¹

from Greek lithikos, from lithos stone

Origin of lithic²

C18: from Greek lithikos stony

Example Sentences

In 2014 researchers announced the discovery in Gibraltar's Gorham's Cave of "the first known example of an abstract pattern engraved by Neanderthals" with a design whose lines were rendered through repeated using a pointed lithic tool to create precise grooves, "excluding the possibility of an unintentional or utilitarian origin."

From Salon

The structure mirrors the content, which traces three related narratives: the history of Waldie’s family; the story of Lakewood and its development as a planned community; and the saga, lithic and otherwise, of the land itself.

From Los Angeles Times

Mission Ridge is also the only hill where you can demo Washington-made Lithic skis, handcrafted in nearby Peshastin.

From Seattle Times

As data breaches at high-profile companies get more frequent, plenty of people aren’t comfortable sharing their credit card numbers with online sellers — especially smaller ones, said Bo Jiang, co-founder and CEO of virtual credit card provider Lithic, known formerly as Privacy.com.

From Washington Post

While no one wants or expects to attract out-of-state winter ski visitors on the scale of Colorado or Utah, our booming population and robust slate of in-state companies that thrive on winter sports — including: Eddie Bauer, evo, Feathered Friends, Lib Tech, Lithic Skis, K2 Sports, Outdoor Research, Mountain Safety Research, REI — prove there is more than enough local interest to keep our winter trailheads and ski areas busy.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• craggy
• jagged
• rough

Words That Use -Lithic

What does -lithic mean?

The combining form -lithic is used like a suffix used to name cultural phases in archaeology characterized by the use of a particular type of tool. Essentially, it is used in the names of eras of human history. It is most often used in archaeological and anthropological terms.

The form -lithic comes from Greek lithikós, meaning “of stone.”

Corresponding forms of -lithic combined to the beginning of words are litho- and -lith. Learn more at our Words That Use articles for these forms.

Examples of -lithic

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -lithic is Paleolithic, “of relating to, or characteristic of the cultures of the late Pliocene and the Pleistocene epochs, or early phase of the Stone Age.”

The paleo- part of the word may look familiar; it means “old” or “ancient.” The -lithic portion of the word, as we know, is used to name an era of human history. Paleolithic literally means “of ancient stone” or, more generally, “of ancient history.”

What are some words that use the combining form -lithic?

• Aeneolithic
• Chalcolithic
• Epipaleolithic
• Mesolithic
• Neolithic

What are some other forms that -lithic may be commonly confused with?

• -lite
• -lith
• -lyze

In some instances, words ending in -lith are further modified with the suffix -ic, which is used to form adjectives. For example, something with the characteristics of a monolith may be called monolithic. This word does not use -lithic to indicate an era of human history.

Break it down!

The combining form chalco- means “copper.” With this in mind, what was significant about the Chalcolithic age?