lithogenic
|lith-o-gen-ic|
/ˌlɪθəˈdʒɛnɪk/
originating from rock
Etymology
'lithogenic' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'lithos' and 'genēs', where 'litho-' meant 'stone' and '-genic' (from 'genēs') meant 'born' or 'producing'.
'lithogenic' was formed in New/Neo-Latin usage by combining the Greek elements 'litho-' + '-genic' in scientific terms and later entered modern English as the technical adjective 'lithogenic'.
Initially, it meant 'stone-producing' or 'produced from stone', but over time it evolved into its current geological sense of 'originating from rock or formed by rock-derived processes (especially sediments derived from rock erosion)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to, produced by, or originating from rock or stony material; (in geology) describing sediments or deposits derived from the erosion or breakdown of preexisting rocks.
The lithogenic sediments in the delta were mainly derived from nearby mountains.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/17 20:05