English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin Syēnītēs, from Syēnē (Aswan), because it was anciently quarried there.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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syenite (countable and uncountable, plural syenites)

  1. (geology, obsolete) Granite.
  2. (geology) An igneous rock composed of feldspar and hornblende.
    • 1906, James George Frazer, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, page 15:
      The temple, of which some massive hewn blocks and a fine column of Syenite granite still mark the site, occupied a terrace facing the source of the river and commanding a magnificent prospect.

Translations

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Further reading

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