aplites
|ap-lite|
/ˈæplaɪt/
(aplite)
fine-grained granitic rock
Etymology
'aplite' originates from German, specifically the word 'Aplit', where the Greek root 'hapl-' (from 'haploos') meant 'simple' or 'single'.
'aplite' changed from the German word 'Aplit', a term formed in 19th-century geological literature influenced by Greek elements meaning 'simple', and eventually became the modern English geological term 'aplite'.
Initially it meant 'a rock of simple (few) mineral components', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a fine-grained intrusive igneous rock composed mainly of quartz and alkali feldspar'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'aplite': a fine-grained intrusive igneous rock composed chiefly of quartz and alkali feldspar, typically occurring as dikes or veins associated with granitic bodies.
Geologists noted aplites cutting across the granite at several points.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/18 12:58