rhizoverbBeta
DictionarygraniteHard speckled rock
noun / adjective

granite

GRAN-it/ˈɡrænɪt/

A hard, speckled igneous rock often used in construction.

Pink, gray, and black mineral grains speckle the granite slab and rough chunk.

A cut slab of speckled granite beside a rough chunk of the same coarse crystalline rock, distinct pink gray black mineral grains, no labels.
Etymology
graniteItaliangrained; granite

Italian granito originally meant “grained.” The rock was named for its visibly grainy appearance, the feature that gives granite its characteristic speckled look.

In context

National Geographic40:14
Pink granite was a popular material in the time of the pharaohs, used to decorate both buildings and monuments.
Secrets of the Pharaohs | Lost Treasures of Egypt | MEGA EPISODE | National Geographic

More examples

  • Visible mineral crystals give granite its speckled appearance.
  • Workers cut granite into blocks for the building's foundation.
  • These granite steps resist years of heavy foot traffic.

Forms

granite

granitic adjective — Made of or resembling granite.

Similar words

marble
A softer metamorphic building stone, often veined rather than speckled.
basalt
Usually darker and finer-grained, though also an igneous rock.