noun
dike
A sheet of igneous rock cutting across surrounding rock layers.
A dark dike cuts across the pale rock layers.
Etymology
Old English dīc could name a ditch or raised earthwork. Geology borrows the embankment’s wall-like image for a sheet of rock that cuts across surrounding formations.
More examples
- The geologist traces the dike up the cliff.
- The diagram shows magma cooling inside the dike.
- Several narrow dikes intersect the older rock.
Forms
dike · dikes