fulgurite

C2+ Topic:Science & Research
US /ˈfʌlɡjəraɪt/ UK /ˈfʌlɡjəraɪt/
noun Freq #160349

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a glassy, often branching tube or crust formed when lightning fuses sand, soil, or rock

    The lightning strike left a fragile fulgurite extending through the dune sand.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a glassy, often branching... fossilized lightninglightning glass
Word family
Forms fulgurites
Derived forms fulguritic
Related forms lightningsilicalechatelieritevitrification

Etymology

Formed from Latin fulgur, 'lightning,' + the mineral suffix -ite. The name refers to material fused or vitrified by the intense heat of a lightning discharge.

Topics

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