kimberlite

[ kim-ber-lahyt ]
/ ˈkɪm bərˌlaɪt /

noun

Petrology. a variety of micaceous peridotite, low in silica content and high in magnesium content, in which diamonds are formed.

Origin of kimberlite

1885–90; named after Kimberley, South Africa; see -ite1

Words nearby kimberlite

kim jong-il, kim jong-un, kim young sam, kimball, kimberley, kimberlite, kimbundu, kimchi, kimmelstiel-wilson disease, kimmer, kimono

Example sentences from the Web for kimberlite

  • The diamonds at Kimberley are found in a blue earth, technically known as kimberlite and commonly called "blue ground."

    An African Adventure |Isaac F. Marcosson

  • "We placed the instruments without difficulty," Balgos began—and Connel's eye caught sight of the kimberlite samples on the table.

    The Flaming Mountain |Harold Leland Goodwin

British Dictionary definitions for kimberlite

kimberlite
/ (ˈkɪmbəˌlaɪt) /

noun

an intrusive igneous rock generated at great depth in the earth's mantle and consisting largely of olivine and phlogopite. It often contains diamonds

Word Origin for kimberlite

C19: from Kimberley + -ite 1

Scientific definitions for kimberlite

kimberlite
[ kĭm′bər-līt′ ]

A type of peridotite consisting of a fine-grained matrix of calcite and olivine and containing phenocrysts of olivine, garnet, and sometimes diamonds. Kimberlites are found in long, vertical volcanic pipes, especially in South Africa.