gneiss
Use Gneiss in a sentence
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noun
a metamorphic rock, generally made up of bands that differ in color and composition, some bands being rich in feldspar and quartz, others rich in hornblende or mica.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To gneiss
Collins
World English Dictionary
gneiss (naɪs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| any coarse-grained metamorphic rock that is banded and foliated: represents the last stage in the metamorphism of rocks before melting | |
| [C18: from German Gneis, probably from Middle High German ganeist spark; related to Old Norse gneista to give off sparks] | |
| 'gneissic | |
| —adj | |
| 'gneissoid | |
| —adj | |
| 'gneissose | |
| —adj | |
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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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Gneiss
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
gneiss
1757, from Ger. Gneiss "type of metamorphic rock," from M.H.G. gneist "spark" (so called because the rock glitters), from O.H.G. gneisto "spark."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| gneiss (nīs) Pronunciation Key
A highly foliated, coarse-grained metamorphic rock consisting of light-colored layers, usually of quartz and feldspar, alternating with dark-colored layers of other minerals, usually hornblende and biotite. Individual grains are often visible between layers. Gneiss forms as the result of the regional metamorphism of igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
If you go down to see them, you will find some with the gneiss attached to the quartz.
Gneiss resembles schist, except that the minerals are arranged into bands.
Nearby Words
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