saprolite

noun

sap·​ro·​lite ˈsa-prə-ˌlīt How to pronounce saprolite (audio)
: disintegrated rock that lies in its original place

Examples of saprolite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The decline in saprolite ore has occurred just as the demand for battery-grade nickel has spiked. Rebecca Tan, Dera Menra Sijabat and Joshua Irwandi, Anchorage Daily News, 12 May 2023 But Indonesia - and the world - is running out of saprolite ore. Rebecca Tan, Dera Menra Sijabat and Joshua Irwandi, Anchorage Daily News, 12 May 2023 Laterite nickel ore comes in two forms, and until recently there was no need to use the acid-leaching technology in part because Indonesia was mining the kind known as saprolite, which can be processed partly by using traditional smelters. Rebecca Tan, Dera Menra Sijabat and Joshua Irwandi, Anchorage Daily News, 12 May 2023 But Indonesia — and the world — is running out of saprolite ore. Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 10 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saprolite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saprolite was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near saprolite

Cite this Entry

“Saprolite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saprolite. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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