petrogenesis

English

Etymology

From petro- +‎ -genesis, originally as a calque of earlier German Petrogenese and Petrogenesis.

Noun

petrogenesis (usually uncountable, plural petrogeneses)

1. Rock formation, especially the formation of igneous or metamorphic rocks.
2. The study of the origin of rocks, especially igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Synonyms

• (formation of rocks): rock formation, petrogeny

Hypernyms

• (study of rock formation): petrology, geology

Related terms

• petrogenetic
• petrogenic
• petrogeny

 

References

• “petrogenesis, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2022.