gabbro

Definition

Originally, a kind of serpentine; now generally a coarsely crystalline, igneous rock consisting of lamellar pyroxene and labradorite.

Etymology

From Italian gabbro.

Example Sentences

• "It is known as gabbro and is thought to form the lower layer of the oceanic crust at about four kilometres depth and to comprise a layer up to six kilometres thick, making it one of the most abundant, if least recognisable, materials on earth."
• "Against the dark Ordovician gabbro, the black volcanic base, Rhynie is a streak of technicolour."