Meanings
nounphonolite (countable and uncountable, plural phonolites)
plural phonolites
- countableuncountablechemistryA light-coloured rock of volcanic origin composed mostly of alkali feldspars.
The Lomekwi tools are far larger and are made of basalt and phonolite—rocks that are denser than the quartz and quartzite rocks the capuchins use.
2017 January, Kate Wong, “Monkeys Make Stone ‘Tools’ That Bear a Striking Resemblance to Early Human Artifacts”, in Scientific American, New York, N.Y.: Springer Nature America, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Dec 2016Synonyms: clinkstone
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA light-coloured rock of volcanic origin composed mostly of alkali feldspars.
Similar
Origin
From phono- + -lite, from the metallic sound when it is hit.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish fonoliitti
- fonoliittilight-coloured rock
Japanese 響岩
- 響岩 (kyōgan)light-coloured rock
Romanian fonolit
- fonolitlight-coloured rock
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
phonolite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonolite
MLA
“phonolite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonolite. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phonolite,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phonolite.
Source: phonolite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.