aphanitic
|a-pha-ni-tic|
/ˌæfəˈnɪtɪk/
not visible (very small crystals)
Etymology
'aphanitic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'aphanēs', where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'phanēs' meant 'visible'.
'aphanitic' entered scientific English from New Latin 'aphaniticus', itself derived from Greek 'aphanēs'; it was adopted into English usage in geology during the 19th century.
Initially it meant 'not visible' (in a general sense), but over time it evolved into the specialized geological meaning 'having crystals too small to be seen with the naked eye.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
(Geology) Describing an igneous rock texture in which individual mineral crystals are too small to be seen with the naked eye; fine-grained.
Basalt is typically aphanitic because its crystals cooled and solidified rapidly.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/15 22:12