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Igneous

 [ig-nee-uhs]   Example Sentences Origin

ig·ne·ous

   [ig-nee-uhs]
adjective
1.
Geology. produced under conditions involving intense heat, as rocks of volcanic origin or rocks crystallized from molten magma.
2.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of fire.
Origin:
1655–65; < Latin igneus, equivalent to ign(is) fire + -eus -eous

Related forms
non·ig·ne·ous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Igneous is always a great word to know.
So is convergent plate boundary. Does it mean:
portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus
tectonic boundary where two plates are moving toward each other
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Example Sentences
  • Metamorphic and igneous rocks here show extremely complex structure, which represents a geologic history told in many chapters.
  • Igneous rock, unlike sedimentary rock, comes from volcanic activity.
  • The site is strewn with large boulders of dense igneous rock.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
igneous (ˈɪɡnɪəs)
 
—adj
1.  sedimentary Compare metamorphic (of rocks) derived by solidification of magma or molten lava emplaced on or below the earth's surface
2.  of or relating to fire
 
[C17: from Latin igneus fiery, from ignis fire]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

igneous
1664, from L. igneus "of fire, fiery," from ignis "fire," from PIE *egni- (cf. Skt. agnih "fire, sacrificial fire," O.C.S. ogni, Lith. ugnis "fire").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
igneous   (ĭg'nē-əs)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Relating to rocks or minerals formed by the cooling and hardening of magma or molten lava. Basalt and granite are examples of igneous rocks.

  2. Relating to the processes, such as volcanism, by which such rocks and minerals form.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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