diapir
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əˌpɪər1915–20; < French, said to be < Greek diapeírein to drive through, pierce; dia- dia- + peírein to pierce
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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diapir (ˈdaɪəˌpɪə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| geology an anticlinal fold in which the brittle overlying rock has been pierced by material, such as salt, from beneath | |
| [C20: from Greek diapeirainein to make holes through, pierce] | |
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| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| diapir (dī'ə-pîr') Pronunciation Key
A fold or dome, such as an anticline, in which the upper strata of sediment or rock have been ruptured by the upward movement of more plastic rock, such as a body of salt, gypsum, or lava. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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diapir
(from Greek diapeirein, "to pierce"), geological structure consisting of mobile material that was forced into more brittle surrounding rocks, usually by the upward flow of material from a parent stratum. The flow may be produced by gravitational forces (heavy rocks causing underlying lighter rocks to rise), tectonic forces (mobile rocks being squeezed through less mobile rocks by lateral stress), or a combination of both. Diapirs may take the shape of domes, waves, mushrooms, teardrops, or dikes. Because salt flows quite readily, diapirs are often associated with salt domes or salt anticlines; in some cases the diapiric process is thought to be the mode of origin for a salt dome itself.
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