porphyry

por·phy·ry  (pôrf-r)

n. pl. por·phy·ries

Rock containing relatively large conspicuous crystals, especially feldspar, in a fine-grained igneous matrix.

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[Middle English porphiri, porfurie, from Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro, from Medieval Latin porphyrium, from Latin porphyrts, from Greek porphurts, from porphur, shellfish yielding purple dye, purple (from its color).]

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porphyry [ˈpɔːfɪrɪ]

n pl -ries

1. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) any igneous rock with large crystals embedded in a finer groundmass of minerals

2. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) Obsolete a reddish-purple rock consisting of large crystals of feldspar in a finer groundmass of feldspar, hornblende, etc.

[C14 porfurie, from Late Latin porphyrītēs, from Greek porphuritēs (lithos) purple (stone), from porphuros purple]

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Porphyry [ˈpɔːfɪrɪ]

n

(Biographies / Porphyry (232-305) M, Greeknational of birth: Syrian, PHILOSOPHY: philosopher) original name Malchus. 232-305 ad, Greek Neo-Platonist philosopher, born in Syria; disciple and biographer of Plotinus

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porphyry  (pôrf-r)

An igneous rock containing the large crystals known as phenocrysts embedded in a fine-grained matrix.

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porphyritic adjective (pôrf-rtk)

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

porphyry - any igneous rock with crystals embedded in a finer groundmass of minerals porphyritic rock groundmass - (geology) the matrix of fine-grained crystalline material in which larger crystals are embedded igneous rock - rock formed by the solidification of molten magma

Translations

porphyry [ˈpɔːfɪrɪ] N → pórfido m

porphyry

n → Porphyr m