dolerite

noun

dol·​er·​ite ˈdä-lə-ˌrīt How to pronounce dolerite (audio)
1
: any of various coarse basalts
2
chiefly British : diabase sense 3
doleritic adjective

Examples of dolerite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The smaller dolerite bluestones came from even farther away: the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, 180 miles to the northwest. Hannah Edgar, ARTnews.com, 26 Feb. 2025 Tasman National Park, with its towering dolerite cliffs, and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, with its diverse hiking paths and mercurial weather, are standouts. Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023 Stone 62 is one of only three bluestones at Stonehenge made of non-spotted dolerite, the type of stone used to build Waun Mawn. National Geographic, 19 July 2022 But the researchers only found the stony growths on the cave's ceiling, which is made of dolerite. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 22 Aug. 2014

Word History

Etymology

French dolérite, from Greek doleros deceitful, from dolos deceit; from its being easily mistaken for diorite

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dolerite was in 1838

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Cite this Entry

“Dolerite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dolerite. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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