n. [ It. granito granite, adj., grainy, p. p. of granire to make grainy, fr. L. granum grain; cf. F. granit. See Grain. ] (Geol.) A crystalline, granular rock, consisting of quartz, feldspar, and mica, and usually of a whitish, grayish, or flesh-red color. It differs from gneiss in not having the mica in planes, and therefore in being destitute of a schistose structure. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ Varieties containing hornblende are common. See also the Note under Mica. [ 1913 Webster ]
Gneissoid granite,
Graphic granite,
Porphyritic granite,
Hornblende granite, or
Syenitic granite,
Granite ware.
adj. as hard as granite.
n. a kind of ironware with stone gray enamel. [ WordNet 1.5 ]