rock

In geology, a naturally occurring and coherent aggregate of minerals. The three major classes of rock—igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic—are based on the processes that formed them. These three classes are further subdivided on the basis of various factors, especially chemical, mineralogical, and textural attributes (see e.g., acid and basic rocks; crystalline rock; extrusive rock). See also felsic rock; intrusive rock; mafic rock.