A fine-grained igneous rock composed mainly of quartz and feldspar, often found in granite.
From Greek 'a-' (without) + 'plites' (fold), or possibly from 'aplous' (simple/unfoldable), referring to the simple mineral composition. Coined by geologists in the 19th century.
Aplite often shows up right at the edges of granite bodies where molten rock cooled super-fast, and because it cooled quickly, it's a frozen record of what the magma was doing right at the moment of crystallization!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.