1
a
: formed by solidification of magma
igneous rock
b
: relating to, resulting from, or suggestive of the intrusion or extrusion of magma or volcanic activity
2
: of, relating to, or resembling fire : fiery
Examples of igneous in a Sentence
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This magma then pushed through the cracks in the rocks around it, cooling and crystallizing over millions of years to form Spruce Pine’s bounty of pegmatites—igneous rock that’s chock-full of quartz crystals.
—
Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024
As the National Academies report explains, carbon-dioxide–rich fluids injected into basalt or peridotite formations (two kinds of igneous rock that make up much of the earth’s mantle) react with the rock, converting the dissolved carbon dioxide into solid carbon-containing minerals.
—Fred Krupp, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
Read more Among the displays of quartz, igneous rocks, and fossils at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai sits a cylindrical, grayish lump.
—Byvaishnavi Chandrashekhar, science.org, 5 Sep. 2024
Their results showed that InSight’s data best matches up with a deep layer of igneous, or volcanic, rock that is filled with liquid water.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024
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Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024
As the National Academies report explains, carbon-dioxide–rich fluids injected into basalt or peridotite formations (two kinds of igneous rock that make up much of the earth’s mantle) react with the rock, converting the dissolved carbon dioxide into solid carbon-containing minerals.
—Fred Krupp, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
Read more Among the displays of quartz, igneous rocks, and fossils at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai sits a cylindrical, grayish lump.
—Byvaishnavi Chandrashekhar, science.org, 5 Sep. 2024
Their results showed that InSight’s data best matches up with a deep layer of igneous, or volcanic, rock that is filled with liquid water.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for igneous
Dictionary Entries Near igneous
Cite this Entry
“Igneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/igneous. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
igneous
adjective
ig·ne·ous
ˈig-nē-əs 
: formed by hardening of melted earth
igneous rock
compare metamorphic, sedimentary sense 2
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