concretion

C2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /kənˈkriːʃən/ UK /kənˈkriːʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #208495

Meanings

1

noun
a hard, often rounded mineral mass formed by material accumulating within sediment or sedimentary rock

The geologist split the sandstone concretion to examine its mineral core.
2

noun
the process of particles or substances coalescing into a solid mass

Concretion around the buried shell gradually produced a compact lump.
3

noun
a stonelike deposit formed within the body, such as a kidney or salivary stone

Imaging revealed a small concretion in the salivary duct.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a hard, often rounded... mineral nodulenodule

2 noun · the process of particles or... coalescence aggregation

3 noun · a stonelike deposit formed... calculus stone

Opposites

dispersion dissolution

Word family

Forms concretions

Derived forms concretionaryconcretionalbioconcretion

Related forms concrete nodule sediment calculus

Etymology

Borrowed from French concretion and Latin concretio, 'a thickening or growing together,' from concrescere, 'to grow together.' Geological and medical uses both retain the idea of matter accumulating into a hard mass.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# concretion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈkriːʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈkriːʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 208495

## Meanings
1. a hard, often rounded mineral mass formed by material accumulating within sediment or sedimentary rock
2. the process of particles or substances coalescing into a solid mass
3. a stonelike deposit formed within the body, such as a kidney or salivary stone

## Examples
- The geologist split the sandstone concretion to examine its mineral core.
- Concretion around the buried shell gradually produced a compact lump.
- Imaging revealed a small concretion in the salivary duct.

## Synonyms
- mineral nodule
- coalescence
- calculus

## Antonyms
- dispersion
- dissolution

## Derived Forms
- concretionary
- concretional
- bioconcretion

## Related Forms
- concrete
- nodule
- sediment
- calculus

## Etymology
Borrowed from French concretion and Latin concretio, 'a thickening or growing together,' from concrescere, 'to grow together.' Geological and medical uses both retain the idea of matter accumulating into a hard mass.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

markdown