saprolite

[ sap-ruh-lahyt ]
/ ˈsæp rəˌlaɪt /

noun Petrography.

soft, disintegrated, usually more or less decomposed rock remaining in its original place.

Origin of saprolite

First recorded in 1890–95; sapro- + -lite

OTHER WORDS FROM saprolite

sap·ro·lit·ic [sap-ruh-lit-ik] /ˌsæp rəˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby saprolite

saprobe, saprobiology, saprobiont, saprogen, saprogenic, saprolite, sapropel, saprophagous, saprophyte, saprotroph, saprozoic

British Dictionary definitions for saprolite

saprolite
/ (ˈsæprəʊlɪt) /

noun

a deposit of earth, clay, silt, etc, formed by decomposition of rocks that has remained in its original site

Derived forms of saprolite

saprolitic, adjective

Scientific definitions for saprolite

saprolite
[ săp′rə-līt′ ]

Soft, thoroughly decomposed and porous rock, often rich in clay, formed by the in-place chemical weathering of igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rocks. Saprolite is especially common in humid and tropical climates. It is usually reddish brown or grayish white and contains those structures (such as cross-stratification) that were present in the original rock from which it formed.