aphanophyre
|a-pha-no-phyre|
🇺🇸
/ˌæfənəˈfaɪər/
🇬🇧
/ˌæfənəˈfaɪə(r)/
fine-grained igneous rock (crystals invisible)
Etymology
'aphanophyre' was formed in modern geological usage from Greek 'aphanes' meaning 'invisible' or 'unseen' + the element 'phyre' (from Latin/French 'porphyre' meaning 'porphyry' or igneous rock).
The term arose in 19th-century geological literature as a Neo-Latin/French-influenced formation combining Greek 'aphanes' with the established rock-name element 'porphyre/porphyry'; it entered English geological vocabulary via scientific descriptions of volcanic and hypabyssal rocks.
Originally coined to denote a 'porphyritic rock with an aphanitic (invisible) groundmass,' the meaning has remained specialized and is still used to describe fine-grained igneous rocks with crystals too small to see.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a fine-grained igneous (volcanic or shallow intrusive) rock, often porphyritic, whose crystals are too small to be seen with the naked eye; essentially an aphanitic porphyry.
Field geologists described the outcrop as an aphanophyre with a glassy groundmass and few visible phenocrysts.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/15 22:54