augitophyre
|au-gi-to-phyre|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːɡaɪtəˈfaɪər/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːɡaɪtəˈfaɪə/
augite-rich porphyritic igneous rock
Etymology
'augitophyre' is a compound formed from 'augite' (the mineral name) + Neo-Latin/Greek-derived suffix '-phyre' (from Greek 'pyr'/'pyros' meaning 'fire', used in petrological terms for porphyritic volcanic rocks).
The term reflects 19th-century petrological usage: mineral name 'augite' (from Greek-rooted mineral nomenclature) combined with German/Neo-Latin rock-naming '-phyre' (seen in German 'Augitophyre' and English usage), producing 'augitophyre' in technical geology.
Originally coined to name porphyritic volcanic rocks dominated by augite phenocrysts, the meaning has remained essentially the same in modern petrology as a descriptive rock name.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a porphyritic igneous rock (porphyry) in which augite is the dominant or conspicuous phenocryst phase; an augite-rich porphyry.
The outcrop consisted largely of augitophyre, characterized by abundant augite phenocrysts in a finer groundmass.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/18 21:32