Basalt is a dark, fine-grainedhaving very small particles or crystals, not large ones volcanicrelated to volcanoes or material coming from them rock formed when lava cools and hardens quickly. It is one of the most common rocks in the Earth’s crustthe outer solid layer of a planet or moon and is often found in lava flows and ocean floors.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈbæsɑlt/
Easy pronunciation: BAS-awlt (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable: BAS-awlt.
Refers to the dark volcanic rock.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Basalt Meaning
A hard volcanic rock made when lava cools.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A dark, dense, fine-grained igneous rock formed from cooled lava.
Example: The trail crossed a wide field of basalt after the eruption.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse basalt with any dark rock, but basalt is specifically a volcanic igneous rock.
- Basalt is a noun for the rock itself, not an adjective meaning ‘dark’ or ‘stone-like’.
- It should not be mixed up with marble, granite, or slate, which are different types of rock.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does basalt mean?
Basalt means a dark volcanic rock formed when lava cools and solidifies.
Is basalt a type of rock?
Yes. Basalt is a common igneous rock made from cooled lava.
What is basalt used for?
Basalt is often used as building stone, crushed aggregate, and road material.
Does basalt have synonyms?
In everyday English, basalt has very few true synonyms. It is usually best described directly as a type of volcanic rock.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.