Oolite

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈəʊəlʌɪt/

Definitions

1. A sedimentary rock made up of small, rounded grains that form when calcium carbonate precipitates around a nucleus in marine settings
2. A type of limestone featuring spherical particles that develop through mineral deposition around a core, resembling tiny eggs
3. A sedimentary material composed of small spherical grains formed by the precipitation of minerals around a central particle in aquatic environments

Etymology: Oolite is a compound built from two Greek-derived pieces: "oo-", from Greek "oon", meaning "egg", and "-lite", from Greek "lithos", meaning "stone". The name describes the rock's texture, which is made of tiny rounded grains that look like fish roe or fine eggs, each one formed by layers of mineral deposited around a small core. The term was formed in German as "Oolit", and English took it over from that source. The same pattern appears in many other geological names, where Greek roots are combined to describe what a rock looks like or what it is made of. Oolite is one of the clearest examples, since the first half of the word names the egg-like grains and the second half names the stone.