stromatolite

noun

stro·​mat·​o·​lite strō-ˈma-tə-ˌlīt 

: a laminated usually mounded sedimentary fossil formed from layers of cyanobacteria, calcium carbonate, and trapped sediment

stromatolitic

strō-ˌma-tə-ˈli-tik 

adjective

Examples of stromatolite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fu and his colleagues analyzed rock samples from East Pilbara Craton, a geological formation rich with fossil evidence of early organisms such as stromatolites, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 25 Mar. 2026

These include tiny remains of single cells and filaments, as well as mineralized traces of microbial mats and layered stromatolites. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025

Burtynsky viewed the stromatolites and the rest of Shark Bay’s coastline only from the air, angling his camera out of the passenger window of a Cessna 210. —Andrew Aoyama, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2025

The first stromatolites lived 3.5 billion years ago: the organism is a living fossil from the planet’s earliest days. —Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin stromat-, stroma bed covering + English -o- + -lite

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stromatolite

• actinolite
• adipocyte
• amphibolite
• anorthosite
• anthophyllite
• aragonite
• carbonatite
• cassiterite
• cristobalite
• crocidolite
• diatomite
• dithionite