Aplites

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fine-grained granite consisting mainly of quartz and feldspar, typically light-colored and used in the construction industry
2. A type of igneous rock characterized by a lack of mica and other dark minerals, commonly found in continental crust
3. A light-colored, coarse-grained rock composed primarily of quartz and potassium feldspar, often occurring in small intrusive masses

Etymology: Aplites are the plural of "aplite," a fine-grained light-coloured igneous rock whose name comes from the Greek "haplous," meaning "simple" or "single." The name points to the rock's plain composition: it is made mostly of feldspar and quartz, with little or none of the dark minerals such as mica or hornblende that colour most granites. The "-ite" ending is the standard suffix geologists use for rock names, so the word reads as "simple rock."