dol·er·ite (d l  -r t )n. Chiefly British A dark, fine-grained igneous rock; diabase. [French dolérite, from Greek doleros, deceitful (from its easily being mistaken for diorite), from dolos, trick; see del-2 in Indo-European roots.] dol er·itic (-r tk) adj. |
dolerite [ˈdɒləˌraɪt]
n
1. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) a dark basic intrusive igneous rock consisting of plagioclase feldspar and a pyroxene, such as augite; often emplaced in dykes
2. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) any dark igneous rock whose composition cannot be determined with the naked eye
[from French dolérite, from Greek doleros deceitful; so called because of the difficulty of determining its composition]
doleritic [ˌdɒləˈrɪtɪk] adj
| dolerite (dl-rt) See diabase. |
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