xenolith

noun

xe·​no·​lith ˈze-nə-ˌlith  ˈzē- 

: a fragment of a rock included in another rock

xenolithic

ˌze-nə-ˈli-thik 

ˌzē-

adjective

Examples of xenolith in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Look for a 'turkey gobbler' rock, xenoliths (quartz crystals and other material embedded in boulders) and knife-edge slabs that have flaked off walls of granite. —Mare Czinar, azcentral, 5 Mar. 2020

The surrounding landscape would be covered in volcanic ash and debris, some made of erupting magma, some made of chunks of mantle and crust xenoliths. —Erik Klemetti, WIRED, 5 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

xeno- + -lith

Note: The term was introduced by the British geologist William Johnson Sollas (1849-1936) in "On the volcanic district of Carlingford and Slieve Gullion, Part I.—On the relation of the granite to the gabbro of Barnavave, Carlingford," "Read May 8, 1893," "Published May, 1894," Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. 30 (1892-96), p. 493.

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for xenolith

• coppersmith
• hammersmith
• monolith
• silversmith
• beckwith
• blacksmith
• forthwith
• herewith
• locksmith
• outwith
• therewith
• wherewith