basalt
pronunciation
How to pronounce basalt in British English:
UK [ˈbæsɔ:lt]
How to pronounce basalt in American English:
US [bəˈsɔlt]
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- Noun:
- the commonest type of solidified lava; a dense dark gray fine-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene
Word Origin
- basalt (n.)
- c. 1600, from Late Latin basaltes, misspelling of Latin basanites "very hard stone," from Greek basanites "a species of slate used to test gold," from basanos "touchstone." Not connected with salt. Said by Pliny ["Historia," 36.58] to be an African word, perhaps Egyptian bauhan "slate." Any hard, very dark rock would do as a touchstone; the assayer compared the streak left by the alleged gold with that of real gold or baser metals. Hence Greek basanizein "to be put to the test, examined closely, cross-examined, to be put to torture."
Example
- 1. Not everywhere is blessed with basalt , of course .
- 2. Above this is a layer of basalt from an overlying lava flow .
- 3. The islands are all volcanic , so the face is likely made up of basalt .
- 4. Giant 's causeway is a huge deposit of columnar basalt found in county antrim near the tip of northern ireland .
- 5. Most of iceland 's rock is basalt , a type that is rich in both calcium and magnesium .