basalt

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) A hard mafic igneous rock of varied mineral content; volcanic in origin, which makes up much of the Earth's oceanic crust.
2. (countable, uncountable) A type of unglazed pottery.

Synonyms

whimstone

whin

basaltic

blue-stone

whinstone

volcanic rock

plutonic rock

Translations

basalte

Basalt

basalto

basalto

basalt

basalto

basalt

βασάλτης

بازلت

bazalt

μελανόλιθος

Säulenstein

volkanik karataş

بَازٰلْت

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbæs.ɒlt/

Etymology

From Late Latin basaltes, a misspelling of Latin basanites, from Ancient Greek βασανίτης (basanítēs), from βάσανος (básanos, “touchstone”), from Egyptian bḫn (“a hard stone”), b-x:n-O39