augen
|au-gen|
C2
/ˈaʊɡən/
eye-shaped mineral grain
Etymology
Etymology Information
'augen' originates from German, specifically the word 'Augen', where 'Auge' meant 'eye'.
Historical Evolution
'augen' is the German plural of 'Auge' (eye), from Old High German 'ouga', ultimately from Proto-Germanic '*augōn'. The term was adopted into English geological usage to describe eye-shaped mineral grains.
Meaning Changes
Initially it meant 'eyes' in German; in English scientific usage it came to mean specifically 'eye-shaped mineral grains or structures' in rocks.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in geology, rounded or lens- (eye-) shaped mineral grains or porphyroblasts in metamorphic rock (as in 'augen gneiss').
The hand sample contained several large augen set in a foliated matrix.
Synonyms
eye-shaped mineralporphyroblast
Last updated: 2025/11/18 18:02