Word
granite
Phoneticsgran·ite
US/ˈɡɹænət/
UK/ɡɹˈænɪt/
Definitions
01the rock
n. a very hard, natural rock that is often grey, pink, or white and is used in buildings and for kitchen counters.
n. a common, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting essentially of quartz, feldspar, and mica. Uncountable when referring to the material; countable when referring to specific geological types.
“The new kitchen has beautiful grey granite countertops that are very easy to clean.”
“The cathedral was constructed from local granite, ensuring the structure could withstand centuries of harsh coastal weather without significant erosion.”
02toughness
n. a quality of being very strong, firm, or tough in character.
n. unyielding firmness or endurance; a figurative extension of the rock's physical properties to human character or resolve.
“Behind his kind smile was a heart of granite that never gave up.”
“The negotiator's outward politeness masked a will of granite, making it impossible for the opposing side to secure any meaningful concessions.”
Literary
Real-World Examples
“T erry Eagleton is not a fan of sloppy thinking, especially when it comes to the granite fact of death.” “During the California test this January, EarthGrid's cigar-shaped boring machine chewed through three metres of granite.” Etymology
From French granit (“granite”), from Italian granito (“granite”), from granire (“to granulate”), from grano (“grain”), from Latin grānum (“grain”). Compare granita.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/granite