The Phrontistery


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Stones and Rocks

All the words in this list incorporate the element '-lith-', from the Greek lithos 'stone'. Unfortunately, if you've come looking for a list of different types of stone (a list that would easily run into the thousands) you should really consult a good geological dictionary such as the massive Glossary of Geology or the smaller but also useful Dictionary of Geological Terms. The list contains some words from geology and archaeology, but many others come from medicine, such as the many terms referring to various concretions that can grow inside various parts of you, while still others are printing and engraving terms. I have never been accused of being stony-faced or hard-hearted, so feel free to correct any errors - after all, the list isn't set in stone!


Word Definition
acrolith wooden statue with stone extremities
aerolith stone that falls from the sky; meteorite
albolith white cement formed from magnesia and silica
alvinolith obsolete term for coprolith
amphibiolith fossilized amphibian
anthropolith fossilized human skeleton
antilithic counteracting effects of bladder stones
archaeolithic pertaining to the most ancient man-made stone tools
asthenolith body of magma formed in the asthenosphere of the earth
batholith large mass of intruded igneous rock
biolith rock formed by living creatures
broncholith stone in the bronchial glands
brontolith aerolith
bysmalith cylinder of igneous rock that lifts overlying rock when forced upward
cardiolith concretion in the heart
cholelith gallstone
chololith gallstone
chromolith colour impression of a drawing on stone
coccolith tiny calcareous plate whose fossils form chalk and limestone deposits
coprolith ball of hardened feces
cyclolith stone circle
cystolith calcium carbonate that masses in cell wall of some plants
dacryolith stone forming in the tear ducts
encephalolith stone forming in the brain
endolith coloured design on chemically prepared slab of marble or ivory
enterolith stone forming in the stomach or intestines
eolith stone naturally formed but thought to be manufactured
epilithic growing on the surface of rocks
fecalith stony heap or mass of feces
gastrolith stone ingested by an animal to aid in digestion
heliolithic of a civilization, characterized by megaliths and sun-worship
hepatolith gallstone
hippolith concretion in the stomach of a horse
hydrolaccolith mass of ice that thrusts up overlying soil to form a mound
hydrolith calcium hydride
inolith stone forming in fibrous tissue
laccolith mass of igneous rock intruded between two sedimentary beds
lithagogue having the power to expel concretions from the bladder or kidney
lithectasy surgical removal of concretions through the urethra
lithiasis formation of concretions in any part of the body
lithic of or pertaining to stone
lithics study of stone artifacts
lithification process of becoming stone
lithobiotic pertaining to the natural state of crystals or minerals
lithocarp fossilized fruit
lithochromatics application of oil paints to stone
lithochromatography colour printing using several lithographic plates
lithochromy painting upon stone
lithochrysography printing in gold on stone
lithoclast stone breaker; tool for breaking rocks
lithodialysis operation by which bladder stones are dissolved
lithodomous living in burrows in rocks
lithofractor rock-breaker
lithogenesis formation of rocks
lithogenous stone-producing; coral-producing
lithoglyph engraving on stone
lithography art of printing on specially prepared stone to allow ink impressions
lithoid having the structure or nature of stone
litholabe instrument for holding stone while being extracted from the bladder
litholatry stone-worship
lithology study of rocks
lithomancy divination by stones or meteorites
lithometer instrument for measuring size of a concretion in the bladder
lithomyl tool for reducing concretions into powder
lithontriptic breaking up concretions in the bladder
lithopaedium dead fetus impregnated with calcareous matter
lithophagous stone-swallowing; rock-boring; eating rock
lithophany art of making a kind of ornamental glass
lithophilous living among stones
lithophone medical instrument that makes audible sound upon contact of probe with a concretion
lithophosphoric becoming phosphorescent when heated
lithophyte plant that grows on rock
lithosphere crust and upper mantle of the earth
lithostatic designating pressure exerted by overlying rock layers
lithostratigraphy study of layers of rock based on their physical characteristics
lithotheology natural theology based on the study of stones
lithotint tinted picture created from a lithograph
lithotome naturally occurring rock that resembles a cut stone
lithotomy surgical operation to remove stones from the bladder
lithotomy a quarry
lithotripsy operation involving crushing or disintegration of bladder stones
lithotrite archaic medical instrument for crushing bladder stones
lithotype etched stone surface for printing
lopolith complex laccolith with a centrally sunken base
megalith large rough stone used as a monument
microlith very small stone tool
monolith large single stone in form of monument, obelisk or column
neolith stone tool or weapon associated with early farming peoples
nephrolith kidney stone
odontolith concretion made of dental tartar
oolith small rounded limestone granule
ophthalmolith concretion in the tear ducts
oscheolith concretion in the scrotum
otolith calcium concretion in inside of vertebrate's ear to aid in equilibrium
palaeotolith stone tool supposedly of pre-paleolithic date
paleolith stone tool associated with paleolithic peoples
peristalith ancient stone circle
phacolith lens-shaped intrusive mass of igneous rock between two strata
phlebolith concretion in the veins
phonolith igneous rock that makes a ringing noise when struck
photolith image produced by transferring photograph to a lithographic plate
phytolith fossilized plant
pisolith pea-shaped stony concretion
pneumatolith stone in the lung
polylith prehistoric monument consisting of many stones
postholith concretion or stone in the foreskin
prepalaeolith stone tool supposedly of pre-paleolithic date
prostatolith concretion in the prostate gland
protolith precursor to a metamorphic rock
psammolithic consisting of sandstone
regolith layer of loose rock and soil overlaying bedrock of a planet
rhinolith concretion forming in the nasal cavity
sebolith concretion forming in the sebaceous glands
sialolith concretion forming in the salivary gland
spongolith fossil sponge
statolith small calcareous stone used by invertebrates to maintain equilibrium
stercolith concretion forming around hardened feces
stromatolith rock structure consisting of alternating igneous and sedimentary layers
tonsillolith concretion forming in the tonsils
trilith stone monument of two upright and one transverse slab
tripolith kind of cement
uranolith meteoritic stone
ureterolith concretion forming in the ureter
urolith small stone in the urinary tract
uterolith concretion forming in the uterus
xenolith fragment of extraneous rock embedded in magma or another rock


I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.

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