1. A fine-grained igneous rock composed chiefly of quartz and feldspar, typically occurring as a vein or dike in granite.
Usage: geology; technical

Examples

• The geologist identified aplite veins cutting through the granite outcrop.
• Aplite is commonly found in pegmatite deposits and granitic intrusions.
• The fine-grained texture of aplite distinguishes it from coarser granitic rocks.
• Miners sometimes encounter aplite dikes while quarrying granite.
• Aplite forms when magma cools rapidly, resulting in its characteristically small crystal size.