Diorites

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A granular igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase feldspar, with lesser amounts of quartz and biotite or hornblende; it is often used in construction and as a decorative stone
2. A type of medium to coarse-grained rock formed from the cooling of magma, commonly characterized by its light and dark mineral composition; it is valued for its strength and durability in architecture
3. An intrusive volcanic rock that typically exhibits a salt-and-pepper appearance due to its contrasting mineralogy; it is frequently utilized in monuments and countertops due to its attractive finish

Etymology: "Diorites" is the plural of "diorite," a coarse-grained igneous rock, and the singular was coined in French by the mineralogist Alexandre Brongniart, who lived from 1770 to 1847. He chose a Greek root for the name: "diorizein" means "to distinguish," built from "dia-" (through, across) and "horizein" (to limit, to mark a boundary). The name was meant to set the rock apart from other stones that looked similar. The idea of marking a boundary is at the heart of the name. Brongniart was naming a rock that could be told apart from its neighbours by the visible grains in its texture, so the word encodes a judgment about how to recognise it rather than a description of its colour or hardness.