1 rhyolite | Definition of rhyolite

rhyolite

noun
rhy·​o·​lite | \ ˈrÄ«-É™-ËŒlÄ«t How to pronounce rhyolite (audio) \

Definition of rhyolite

: a very acid volcanic rock that is the lava form of granite

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Other Words from rhyolite

rhyolitic \ ËŒrÄ«-​É™-​ˈli-​tik How to pronounce rhyolitic (audio) \ adjective

Examples of rhyolite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is surprisingly similar to the contrasting magmas that long ago erupted from the nearby Yellowstone volcanoes, and the light-colored rhyolites of both systems change in age from one end of the volcanic chain to the other. National Geographic, "A tectonic plate is dying under Oregon. Here’s why that matters.," 29 July 2019 The highlight of the park is of course the gorge, where walls of red-gray rhyolite schist, a hard volcanic rock, rise up to 40 feet along the Eau Claire River. Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Dells of the Eau Claire is a gorgeous county park near Wausau," 2 Nov. 2017 Sept. 9 Leslie Gulch trip: Meet at the WinCo parking lot at Meridian Road and I-84 at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, for an 8 a.m. departure. Sculpted rhyolite and geology with Oregon State geologist Mark Ferns. Michelle Jenkins, idahostatesman, "Pumpkins, football and FitOne…yep, September is just around the corner," 25 Aug. 2017 The Kaharoa eruption would have been impressive to see, producing ~5-7 km3 of rhyolite over what is thought to be a few years time. Erik Klemetti, WIRED, "The 1886 Eruption of Mt. Tarawera, New Zealand," 10 Feb. 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rhyolite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rhyolite

1861, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for rhyolite

German Rhyolith, from Greek rhyax stream, stream of lava (from rhein) + German -lith -lite

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More from Merriam-Webster on rhyolite

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with rhyolite

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rhyolite