noun
- A dark, fine-grained igneous rock, typically composed of pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar, formed from the cooling of lava.
Usage: geology; technical
Examples
- The geologist identified the dark rock sample as melaphyre based on its mineral composition.
- Melaphyre formations are common in volcanic regions around the world.
- The ancient lava flow had cooled into a hard melaphyre deposit.
- Melaphyre is often used in construction and road-building materials.