noun
- Plural of nephelite; a mineral composed of sodium aluminum silicate, often found in igneous rocks.
Usage: geology; mineralogy; technical
Examples
- The geologist identified nephelites in the basalt sample under the microscope.
- Nephelites are common constituents of nepheline syenite rocks.
- The presence of nephelites indicates the rock formed from sodium-rich magma.
- Mineralogists study nephelites to understand the composition of lunar samples.