A small almond-shaped structure or deposit, especially a small cavity in volcanic rock filled with minerals.
From amygdala + -ule (small/diminutive). The -ule suffix comes from Latin and creates a diminutive form. In geology, amygdules appear as almond-shaped mineral-filled cavities in basaltic lavas, named for their shape.
Geologists use 'amygdule' for the tiny mineral-filled pockets in volcanic rocks—they look like little almonds embedded in stone! This geological term shows how the almond's distinctive shape became useful across entirely different sciences.
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