granite

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   something having the unyielding firmness quality of granite

   You are a person of granite.

2. 2
   noun

   A group of igneous and plutonic rocks composed primarily of feldspar and quartz. Usually contains one or more dark minerals, which may be mica, pyroxene, or amphibole. Granite is quarried for building stone, road gravel, decorative stone, and tombstones. Common colors are gray, white, pink, and yellow-brown.

   Many monuments sold in the US are crafted from granite produced in China, India and elsewhere overseas, while a lot of stone-working equipment comes from Europe.

3. 3
   noun

   Toughness; the quality of having a thick skin or being rough.

   ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?

4. 4
   noun

   plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture

Simplified etymology

Granite, recorded in English from the mid-17th century, derives ultimately from Latin granum, meaning “seed,” and is associated with the stone’s grain-like markings.

From French granit (“granite”), from Italian granito (“granite”), from granire (“to granulate”), from grano (“grain”), from Latin grānum (“grain”). Compare granita.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary