WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
aph•a•nite
(af′ə nīt′),USA pronunciation n. [Petrog.]
aph•a•nit•ic
(af′ə nit′ik),USA pronunciation adj.
- Rocksa fine-grained igneous rock having such compact texture that the constituent minerals cannot be detected with the naked eye.
- Greek aphan(é̄s) unseen, hidden, invisible (a- a-6 + phanēs, adjective, adjectival derivative of phaínein to bring to light, disclose) + -ite1
- 1860–65;