xenoblasts
/ˈzɛnəˌblæsts/
noun
- Plural of xenoblast; mineral crystals in metamorphic rocks that lack their own characteristic shape.
- The geologist noted that the xenoblasts were all irregularly shaped and interlocked.
- Xenoblasts often form when minerals compete for space during metamorphism.
- The thin section showed numerous xenoblasts scattered throughout the rock matrix.