melaphyre
[ mel-uh-fahyuh r ]
/ ˈmɛl əˌfaɪər /
noun Petrology.
a type of dark igneous rock embedded with feldspar crystals, related to basalt.
OTHER WORDS FROM melaphyre
mel·a·phyr·ic [mel-uh-fir-ik] /ˌmɛl əˈfɪr ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby melaphyre
melanotroph,
melanotropin,
melanous,
melanuria,
melanuric,
melaphyre,
melasma,
melasma universale,
melatonin,
melaxuma,
melba
Example sentences from the Web for melaphyre
Melaphyre is a name given to the very dark varieties of altered augitic lavas, rich in magnetite and chlorite.
Volcanoes: Past and Present |Edward HullThe rocks consist chiefly of basalt, dolerite, melaphyre and felstone.
Volcanoes: Past and Present |Edward HullIn China, at the close of the period, there were enormous eruptions of melaphyre, porphyrite and quartz-porphyry.
British Dictionary definitions for melaphyre
melaphyre
/ (ˈmɛləˌfaɪə) /
noun
geology obsolete
a type of weathered amygdaloidal basalt or andesite
Word Origin for melaphyre
C19: via French from Greek
melas black + (
por)
phura purple