Forellenstein

/fɔːˈrelələnstaɪn/ noun

Definition

A type of metamorphic rock with a speckled or dotted appearance, composed of feldspar and other minerals.

Etymology

From German 'Forelle' (trout) + 'Stein' (stone), literally 'trout stone,' named for its speckled appearance resembling a trout fish. The term entered English geological vocabulary from German mineralogical texts.

Kelly Says

Forellenstein got its name because 19th-century German geologists thought the mineral spots looked like trout scales—a poetic moment in science where someone looked at rock and saw fish!

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