dunite

[ doo-nahyt, duhn-ahyt ]

noun
  1. a coarse-grained igneous rock composed almost entirely of olivine.

Origin of dunite

1
1865–70; named after Mt. Dun in New Zealand, where it is found; see -ite1

Words Nearby dunite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for dunite

dunite

/ (ˈdʌnaɪt) /


noun
  1. an ultrabasic igneous rock consisting mainly of olivine

Origin of dunite

1
C19: named after Dun Mountain, a mountain in New Zealand where it is abundant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for dunite

dunite

[ dōōnīt′, dŭnīt′ ]


  1. A coarse-grained igneous rock that consists mainly of olivine.

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