stylolite

[ stahy-luh-lahyt ]
/ ˈstaɪ ləˌlaɪt /

noun Geology.

an irregular columnar structure in certain limestones, the columns being approximately at right angles to the bedding planes.

Origin of stylolite

First recorded in 1865–70; stylo-2 + -lite

OTHER WORDS FROM stylolite

sty·lo·lit·ic [stahy-luh-lit-ik] /ˌstaɪ ləˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby stylolite

styloid process, styloid process of radius, styloid process of temporal bone, styloid process of ulna, styloiditis, stylolite, stylomastoid artery, stylomastoid foramen, stylomastoid vein, stylometry, stylopharyngeal muscle

British Dictionary definitions for stylolite

stylolite
/ (ˈstaɪləˌlaɪt) /

noun

any of the small striated columnar or irregular structures within the strata of some limestones

Derived forms of stylolite

stylolitic (ˌstaɪləˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for stylolite

C19: from Greek stulos pillar + -lite

Scientific definitions for stylolite

stylolite
[ stī′lə-līt′ ]

A contact surface usually found between two calcareous rock layers, marked by a series of jagged interlocking up-and-down projections that resemble a suture or the tracing of a stylus. Stylolites are found in rocks that have been subjected to pressure and are formed by a process, called pressure dissolution, whereby insoluble material, such as clay and hydrocarbons, becomes concentrated along a surface while other more soluble material, such as calcite, is carried away.