breccia

[ brech-ee-uh, bresh- ]
/ ˈbrɛtʃ i ə, ˈbrɛʃ- /

noun Petrology.

rock composed of angular fragments of older rocks melded together.

Origin of breccia

1765–75; < Italian < Germanic; compare Old High German brecha breaking

Words nearby breccia

breathing reserve, breathing space, breathless, breathtaking, breathy, breccia, brecciate, brecht, breckinridge, brecknockshire, brecksville

Example sentences from the Web for breccia

British Dictionary definitions for breccia

breccia
/ (ˈbrɛtʃɪə) /

noun

a rock consisting of angular fragments embedded in a finer matrix, formed by erosion, impact, volcanic activity, etc

Derived forms of breccia

brecciated, adjective

Word Origin for breccia

C18: from Italian, from Old High German brecha a fragment; see breach

Scientific definitions for breccia

breccia
[ brĕch′ē-ə, brĕch′ə, brĕsh′- ]

A rock composed of angular fragments embedded in a fine-grained matrix. Breccias form from explosive volcanic ejections, the compaction of talus, or plate tectonic processes. Breccias are different from conglomerates in that the fragments they contain are angular instead of rounded.