laccolith

[ lak-uh-lith ]

/ ˈlæk ə lɪθ /

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noun Geology.

a mass of igneous rock formed from magma that did not find its way to the surface but spread laterally into a lenticular body, forcing overlying strata to bulge upward.

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Also lac·co·lite

[lak-uh-lahyt]. /ˈlæk əˌlaɪt/.

Origin of laccolith

1875–80; <Greek lákko(s) pond + -lith

OTHER WORDS FROM laccolith

lac·co·lith·ic, lac·co·lit·ic

[lak-uh-lit-ik], /ˌlæk əˈlɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby laccolith

lac, Lacan, La Canada-Flintridge, Laccadive Islands, Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, laccolith, lace, lacebark, lace bug, lace-curtain, Lacedaemon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for laccolith

laccolith

laccolite (ˈlækəˌlaɪt)

/ (ˈlækəlɪθ) /

noun

a dome-shaped body of igneous rock between two layers of older sedimentary rock: formed by the intrusion of magma, forcing the overlying strata into the shape of a domeSee lopolith

Derived forms of laccolith

laccolithic or laccolitic (ˌlækəˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for laccolith

C19: from Greek lakkos cistern + -lith

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for laccolith

laccolith

[ lăk′ə-lĭth′ ]

A body of igneous rock intruded between layers of sedimentary rock, resulting in uplift. Laccoliths are usually plano-convex in cross-section, having a flat bottom and a convex top, and are roughly circular in plan. They are usually connected to a dike and are typically up to 8 km (5 mi) in diameter and tens to hundreds of meters thick. See illustration at batholith.