gabbro

American  

[gab-roh] / ˈgæb roʊ /

noun

Petrology.

PLURAL

gabbros

1. a dark granular igneous rock composed essentially of labradorite and augite.

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gabbro British  

/ ˈɡæbrəʊ /

noun

1. a dark coarse-grained basic plutonic igneous rock consisting of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, and often olivine

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gabbro Scientific  

/ găb′rō /

1. A usually dark, coarse-grained igneous rock composed mostly of plagioclase feldspar and clinopyroxene, and sometimes olivine. Gabbro is the coarse-grained equivalent of basalt.

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Other Word Forms

• gabbroic adjective
• gabbroid adjective
• gabbroitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of gabbro

< Italian; akin to Latin glaber smooth

Compare meaning

How does gabbro compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gabbro vs. basalt

Example Sentences

It's thanks to the gabbro that Marys Peak stands so tall.

From Scientific American

The textbook explanation is that the Moho draws the line between the crust and the mantle: a demarcation between familiar igneous surface rocks - such as granites, basalts and gabbros - and those of the interior peridotites.

From BBC

Unlike the basalt that makes up much of the Coast Range, which cooled quickly after erupting on the ocean floor, gabbro forms deep underground.

From Washington Times

Appreciable portions of the pit are gabbro, basalt that cooled underground without erupting, that is over 1,700 million years old.

From Scientific American

These are caused either by old intrusions of diabase and gabbro which have undergone modifications, or by later ones of dolerite.

From Project Gutenberg