Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA spherical granule of which oolite is composed, formed by concentric accretion of thin layers of a mineral (usually calcium carbonate (limestone) but also others such as dolomite and silica) around a core; an ooid.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew-“to clothe oneself, dress; to be dressed”
- Ancient Greekᾠόν“egg; seed”
- Late Latinoolithus
- Englishoolith
Borrowed from Late Latin oolithus; the Latin word was coined by the German doctor and mineralogist Franz Ernst Brückmann (1697–1753) as a translation of German Rogenstein (“oolite”) (Rogen (“fish roe”) + Stein (“stone”)). Oolithus is derived from Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión, “egg; seed”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- (“to clothe oneself, dress; to be dressed”), in the sense of a bird being clothed in feathers) + λῐ́θος (lĭ́thos, “a stone; stone as a substance”) (see further at that entry), analysable as oo- + -lith.
More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أوليث
- أوليث ('uwlith)spherical granule of which oolite is composed — see also ooid
Chinese Mandarin 鮞石 /鲕石
- 鮞石 /鲕石 (érshí)spherical granule of which oolite is composed — see also ooid
Finnish ooliitti
- ooliittispherical granule of which oolite is composed — see also ooid
German Oolith
- Oolithspherical granule of which oolite is composed — see also ooid
Persian اولیت
- اولیت ('uwlit)spherical granule of which oolite is composed — see also ooid
Russian оолит
- оолит (oolit)spherical granule of which oolite is composed — see also ooid
Cite this entry
oolith. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oolith
“oolith.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oolith. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oolith,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oolith.
Source: oolith on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.