An archaic or obsolete geological term for a type of igneous rock composed of feldspar and other minerals, lacking quartz.
From Greek 'elaion' (oil) and 'lithos' (stone), literally 'oil-stone,' referring to the greasy or lustrous appearance of certain feldspar-rich rocks. Used in 19th-century mineralogy.
Geologists loved naming rocks based on what they looked like—'eleolite' basically means 'shiny stone,' which is exactly what these feldspar-rich rocks look like when sunlight hits them!
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