por·phy·ry (pôr f -r )n. pl. por·phy·ries Rock containing relatively large conspicuous crystals, especially feldspar, in a fine-grained igneous matrix. [Middle English porphiri, porfurie, from Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro, from Medieval Latin porphyrium, from Latin porphyr  ts, from Greek porphurts, from porphur , shellfish yielding purple dye, purple (from its color).] |
porphyry [por-fir-ee]
Noun
pl -ries a reddish-purple rock with large crystals of feldspar in it [Greek porphuros purple]
porphyritic adj
| porphyry (pôrf-r) An igneous rock containing the large crystals known as phenocrysts embedded in a fine-grained matrix. porphyritic adjective (pôr  f-r tk) |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  porphyry - any igneous rock with crystals embedded in a finer groundmass of mineralsgroundmass - (geology) the matrix of fine-grained crystalline material in which larger crystals are embedded igneous rock - rock formed by the solidification of molten magma |
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