oolite

[ oh-uh-lahyt ]

nounGeology.
  1. a limestone composed of minute rounded concretions resembling fish roe, in some places altered to ironstone by replacement with iron oxide.

Origin of oolite

1
1775–85; (<French oölithe) <New Latin oölithēs.See oo-, -lite

Other words from oolite

  • o·o·lit·ic [oh-uh-lit-ik], /ˌoʊ əˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby oolite

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How to use oolite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oolite

oolite

/ (ˈəʊəˌlaɪt) /


noun
  1. any sedimentary rock, esp limestone, consisting of tiny spherical concentric grains within a fine matrix

Origin of oolite

1
C18: from French from New Latin oolitēs, literally: egg stone; probably a translation of German Rogenstein roe stone

Derived forms of oolite

  • oolitic (ˌəʊəˈlɪtɪk), adjective

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

Scientific definitions for oolite

oolite

[ ōə-līt′ ]


  1. A sedimentary rock consisting of ooliths that are cemented together by calcium carbonate.

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