Min. [a. Fr. eurite, f. Gr. εὔρυτος (recorded in sense ‘flowing plentifully’), f. εὖ well + ῥέειν to flow.
D’Aubuisson, who gave the name in 1819, states (Géognosie II. 119) that he meant it to denote ‘the principal characteristic of the rock, viz. its melting when exposed to fire.’]
‘A variety of syenite occurring near Christiania, of a blue colour and stratified.’ (Watts.)
1847. Craig, Eurite, White-stone, the Weiss-stein of Werner. A variety of granite, in which felspar predominates.
1852. Th. Ross, trans. Humboldt’s Trav., I. xv. 490, note. Talkschiefer of Werner, without garnets or serpentine; not eurite or weisstein.
1879. Rutley, Study Rocks, xii. 214. The eurites proper are more easily fusible than the felstones.
Hence Euritic a., pertaining to or consisting of eurite.
1844. Darwin, Geol. Observ., II. xix. (1876), 470. Near the Pacific, the mountain-ranges are generally formed of syenite or granite, or an allied euritic porphyry.
1879. Rutley, Study Rocks, x. 152. A globular condition of silica … occurring in the euritic porphyries of Les Settons.
