rhyolite

noun

rhy·​o·​lite ˈrī-ə-ˌlīt How to pronounce rhyolite (audio)
: a very acid volcanic rock that is the lava form of granite
rhyolitic adjective

Examples of rhyolite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The aquifer recharges, but slowly: Rain is rare and getting rarer, and what does not evaporate right off takes its time to seep through all the layers of dirt and volcanic ash and limestone and granite and rhyolite and basalt. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022 These magma are genetically related to the Lava Creek rhyolite, but not the same magma (as borne out by their isotopic composition). Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2012 There was likely an intrusion of new magma under the volcano a few years before the 2011 eruption, so that event may have primed the rhyolite to erupt and caused the faults to become less stable as the stresses changed. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2022 The cliffs of the rhyolite of Raker Peak, possibly associated with the Rockland Tephra. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2013 This is another example of the bimodal character of the East African Rift -- a lot of close volcanoes erupting low silica basalt or high-silica rhyolite and not a lot in between. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 Eruptions of rhyolite usually form lava domes or explosive eruptions. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2015 And another outcrop in the valley below, Craig Rhos-y-felin, supplied most of the rhyolite. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Mar. 2022 Bluestone, as a category of rock, contains two major subcategories, rhyolite and dolerite, neither of which occurs naturally near Stonehenge. Simon Akam, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rhyolite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German Rhyolith, from Greek rhyax stream, stream of lava (from rhein) + German -lith -lite

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rhyolite was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near rhyolite

Cite this Entry

“Rhyolite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhyolite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rhyolite

noun
rhy·​o·​lite ˈrī-ə-ˌlīt How to pronounce rhyolite (audio)
: a very acid volcanic rock that is the lava form of granite
rhyolitic adjective

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