brec·cia
| \ ˈbre-ch(ē-)ə
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Definition of breccia
: a rock composed of sharp fragments embedded in a fine-grained matrix (such as sand or clay)
Examples of breccia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Impact melt breccia is a type of lunar rock formed from asteroids striking the surface of the moon.
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Fox News, "Mysterious, gel-like substance discovered on the far side of the moon has been identified," 9 July 2020
In their paper, the scientists explain that the substance discovered by the Chang’e 4 mission’s Yutu-2 rover is similar to two melt breccia samples returned from the moon by NASA’s Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 missions.
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Fox News, "Mysterious, gel-like substance discovered on the far side of the moon has been identified," 9 July 2020
The rock 14321 is a breccia, or a conglomeration of rocks and minerals all cemented together in a mosaic-like pattern.
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Jay Bennett, Smithsonian, "Earth’s Oldest Known Rock May Have Been Found on the Moon," 28 Jan. 2019
The astronauts found two main types of rocks at their landing: basalts and breccias, according to the Universities Space Research Association.
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Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong put a flag on the moon. Here's what you can and can't see in the iconic photo," 19 July 2019
Small rock fragments are sometimes fused under the intense heat and pressure of the impacts, forming breccias.
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Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong put a flag on the moon. Here's what you can and can't see in the iconic photo," 19 July 2019
The Neanderthal’s signature, meanwhile, was more similar to the surrounding breccia.
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Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Humans may have reached Europe by 210,000 years ago," 10 July 2019
The breccias are fragments of older rocks broken up over the years by meteorites hitting the moon.
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Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong put a flag on the moon. Here's what you can and can't see in the iconic photo," 19 July 2019
The breccia was dated to between 100,000 and 190,000 years old at the time.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, "210,000-year-old human skull in Greece is the oldest found outside Africa," 10 July 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breccia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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“Breccia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breccia. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.
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Time Traveler for breccia
The first known use of breccia was in 1758
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