Serpentinised

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

  1. Transformed by a geological process that converts rock minerals into serpentine group minerals, altering texture and composition; resembling or containing the characteristics of serpentine minerals; exhibiting the typical greenish hue and smooth, waxy appearance associated with serpentine
  2. Changed through the alteration of original rock substances into a serpentinite-like state characterized by the presence of serpentine minerals; having qualities that imitate or are derived from serpentinite; showing physical features such as glossy, greenish surfaces common to serpentinized materials
  3. Modified by the process of serpentinization, which converts ultramafic rock into serpentine mineral-rich rock affecting its chemical and physical traits; manifesting the properties linked with serpentine minerals; bearing the distinct coloration and texture reminiscent of serpentinite formations

Etymology: "Serpentinised" is the past form of a verb built from "serpentine," which in turn comes from the Latin "serpentinus," meaning "of a serpent," derived from "serpens," "serpent," the present participle of "serpere," "to creep." The verb itself is formed by adding the suffix "-ise" to "serpentine," a pattern that turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make or become" something. So to serpentinise something is to alter it into the serpentine form, which in practice most often refers to the mineral sense of the word. That mineral sense is the key to the verb's main use. Serpentine, the rock, takes its name from its typically mottled green colour and, in some specimens, a faintly snake-skin texture. When a rock such as olivine-rich peridotite is chemically altered by water, the result is a rock made largely of serpentine minerals, and geologists describe this change as serpentinisation. A rock that has undergone it is said to be serpentinised.

Synonyms: serpentinized, hydrated, altered, transformed, metamorphosed

Antonyms: unserpentinised, unhydrated, unaltered, untransformed