argillite
|ar-gil-lite|
🇺🇸
/ɑrˈdʒɪlaɪt/
🇬🇧
/ɑːˈdʒɪlaɪt/
hardened clay rock
Etymology
'argillite' originates from Latin/French usage, specifically the Latin word 'argilla' meaning 'clay', combined with the suffix '-ite' (from Greek '-itēs') that denotes a rock or mineral.
'argillite' changed from the Latin word 'argilla' to French 'argile', then into Neo-Latin/French forms such as 'argillite' and was adopted into modern English as 'argillite'.
Initially, it meant 'clay' or 'clayey material', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a hardened, fine-grained clay-rich rock or slightly metamorphosed mudstone'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a hard, compact, fine-grained sedimentary rock derived from the induration or slight metamorphism of clay-rich mudstone; essentially a slightly metamorphosed claystone.
The geologist identified a layer of argillite in the riverbank exposures.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a dark, often fissile rock used locally as a building or carving material (regional or historical usage).
Early settlers sometimes quarried argillite for small architectural details.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/12 07:56