amygdale: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Rare
UK/əˈmɪɡdeɪl/US/əˈmɪɡdeɪl/

Technical

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Quick answer

What does “amygdale” mean?

A cavity in volcanic rock that is filled with secondary minerals such as quartz, calcite, or zeolite.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A cavity in volcanic rock that is filled with secondary minerals such as quartz, calcite, or zeolite.

In geology, a rounded or elliptical vesicle (bubble) in an igneous rock that has been filled with minerals deposited from percolating solutions.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning or usage between UK and US English.

Connotations

Neutral, purely descriptive geological term.

Frequency

Extremely rare in both varieties outside of specialist geological literature.

Grammar

How to Use “amygdale” in a Sentence

The amygdale [VERB: is filled with/was lined with/contains] [MINERAL]The rock contains [NUMBER] amygdales

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
amygdaloidalbasaltfilledvesiclemineral
medium
volcanicrockcavityquartzagate
weak
largesmallnumerousidentifyspecimen

Examples

Examples of “amygdale” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

  • The amygdaloidal texture was visible under the microscope.

American English

  • The rock had a distinctive amygdaloidal structure.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used in business contexts.

Academic

Exclusively used in geology, petrology, and volcanology.

Everyday

Never used in everyday conversation.

Technical

Used precisely to describe the feature in volcanic and igneous rock samples.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “amygdale”

Strong

Neutral

filled vesiclevesicle fill

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “amygdale”

unfilled vesiclevug

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “amygdale”

  • Confusing 'amygdale' (geology) with 'amygdala' (neuroscience).
  • Pronouncing it as /ˈæmɪɡdeɪl/ (stress on first syllable).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. 'Amygdale' is a geological term for a filled vesicle in rock. 'Amygdala' is a part of the brain involved in emotion.

It is used exclusively in geology, specifically in igneous petrology and volcanology.

It is pronounced /əˈmɪɡdeɪl/ (uh-MIG-dayl), with stress on the second syllable.

Yes, the adjective 'amygdaloidal' describes rock with amygdales. The word shares a Greek root ('amygdalē' meaning almond) with 'amygdala', due to the shape.

A cavity in volcanic rock that is filled with secondary minerals such as quartz, calcite, or zeolite.

Amygdale is usually technical in register.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Amygdales are like tiny, rocky AMY-gdales (aims) that minerals hit and fill.

Conceptual Metaphor

A fossilised bubble; a geological pocket.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The geologist noted that the volcanic rock contained numerous filled with agate.
Multiple Choice

What is an 'amygdale'?

amygdale: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore