xenocryst
[ zen-uh-krist, zee-nuh- ]
/ ˈzɛn ə krɪst, ˈzi nə- /
noun Mineralogy.
a rock or crystal engulfed by magma and retained as an inclusion in the resulting igneous rock.
OTHER WORDS FROM xenocryst
xen·o·crys·tic, adjectiveWords nearby xenocryst
xenical,
xeno-,
xenobiotic,
xenoblast,
xenocrates,
xenocryst,
xenocurrency,
xenodiagnosis,
xenogamy,
xenogeneic,
xenogenesis
British Dictionary definitions for xenocryst
xenocryst
/ (ˈzɛnəˌkrɪst) /
noun
a crystal included within an igneous rock as the magma cooled but not formed from it
Word Origin for xenocryst
C20: from
xeno- +
cryst (
al)
Scientific definitions for xenocryst
xenocryst
[ zĕn′ə-krĭst′, zē′nə- ]
A crystal foreign to the igneous rock in which it occurs. Xenocrysts usually form during metamorphism. Compare xenolith.