dolerite

noun

dol·​er·​ite ˈdä-lə-ˌrīt 

1

: any of various coarse basalts

2

chiefly British : diabase sense 3

doleritic

ˌdä-lə-ˈri-tik 

adjective

Examples of dolerite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The smaller dolerite bluestones came from even farther away: the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, 180 miles to the northwest. —Hannah Edgar, ARTnews.com, 26 Feb. 2025

But the researchers only found the stony growths on the cave's ceiling, which is made of dolerite. —Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 22 Aug. 2014

Tasman National Park, with its towering dolerite cliffs, and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, with its diverse hiking paths and mercurial weather, are standouts. —Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023

Sublimation on Dolerite: Through an ongoing process of snowfall and sublimation, small holes are carved into pieces of a volcanic basalt called dolerite. —Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2013

In parts, the rocks fit together like a Roman road in a multicolored mosaic of rock types: sandstone, volcanic dolerite and granite. —Jennifer Berglund, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013

In addition, a stone chip found in the former socket hole suggested that the missing stone was also a non-spotted dolerite. —National Geographic, 19 July 2022

Stone 62 is one of only three bluestones at Stonehenge made of non-spotted dolerite, the type of stone used to build Waun Mawn. —National Geographic, 19 July 2022

In this south-facing view of Central Beacon, snow falls and sublimates atop a large dolerite boulder. —Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2013

Word History

Etymology

French dolérite, from Greek doleros deceitful, from dolos deceit; from its being easily mistaken for diorite

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dolerite

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite