granite

¹

[gran-it]

noun

1. a coarse-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of orthoclase and albite feldspars and of quartz, usually with lesser amounts of one or more other minerals, as mica, hornblende, or augite.

2. anything compared to this rock in great hardness, firmness, or durability.

granité

²

[gran-i-tey, grah-ni-, gra-nee-tey]

noun

French Cooking.

1. ice.

granite

/ ɡrəˈnɪtɪk, ˈɡrænɪt /

noun

1. a light-coloured coarse-grained acid plutonic igneous rock consisting of quartz, feldspars, and such ferromagnesian minerals as biotite or hornblende: widely used for building

2. great hardness, endurance, or resolution

3. another name for a stone

granite

1. A usually light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of quartz, orthoclase feldspar, sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar, and micas. Quartz usually makes up 10 to 50 percent of the light-colored minerals in granite, with the remaining minerals consisting of the feldspars and muscovite. The darker minerals in granite are usually biotite and hornblende. Granite is one of the most common rocks in the crust of continents, and is formed by the slow, underground cooling of magma.

granite

1. A relatively lightweight igneous rock that makes up most of the Earth's crust beneath the continents. (See basalt, plate tectonics, and tectonic plates.)

Other Word Forms

• granitic adjective
• granitelike adjective
• pregranitic adjective
• granite-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of granite¹

First recorded in 1640–50, granite is from the Italian word granito grainy. See grain, -ite ¹

Origin of granite²

From French

Word History and Origins

Origin of granite¹

C17: from Italian granito grained, from granire to grain, from grano grain, from Latin grānum

Example Sentences

This tucked-away cove is one of the most iconic areas of the lake, known for its turquoise waters, steep granite cliffs and dense pine forests.

From Los Angeles Times

But these planks of granite lined Pottinger in the 1850s and tilted and dented with time.

From Salon

In February, a group of Yosemite National Park staffers hung a giant, upside-down American flag — a symbol of distress — from the side of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite monolith, to protest the cuts.

From Los Angeles Times

Above, I see granite cliffs and hear the hollers of unseen climbers.

From Los Angeles Times

In Birkenhead, fresh flowers and small notes are still left at a small black granite memorial to her close to the scene of the attack on Borough Road.

From BBC