basaltic
|ba-salt-ic|
🇺🇸
/bəˈsɑːltɪk/
🇬🇧
/bəˈsɔːltɪk/
relating to basalt / made of basalt
Etymology
'basaltic' derives from the English noun 'basalt' plus the adjectival suffix '-ic'. The English 'basalt' comes via Italian 'basalto' and German 'Basalt' from Late Latin 'basaltus', ultimately of uncertain origin (possibly influenced by Greek 'basanites').
'basalt' passed from Late Latin 'basaltus' into Italian as 'basalto' and into German as 'Basalt', then entered English; the adjective 'basaltic' was formed in English by adding the suffix '-ic' to denote 'relating to basalt'.
Originally used to name the specific rock type 'basalt'; over time the adjective 'basaltic' came to mean both 'made of basalt' and, in geology, 'relating to low-silica (mafic) magmas and lavas'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
composed of or containing basalt, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock.
The island is composed largely of basaltic rock from ancient lava flows.
Synonyms
Adjective 2
(Geology) Describing magma or lava that is low in silica and rich in iron and magnesium (mafic).
Basaltic lava typically produces broad, gently sloping shield volcanoes.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/02 22:26