ventifact

ventifact
/ven"teuh fakt'/, n. Geol.
a pebble or cobble that has been faceted, grooved, and polished by the erosive action of wind-driven sand.
[1910-15; < L venti- (comb. form of ventus WIND1) + factum something made (see FACT); perh. modeled on ARTIFACT]

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stone
      stone that has received one or more highly polished, flattened facets as a result of erosion by windblown sand. The facets are cut in sequence and correlate with the dominant wind direction. As one surface is cut, the stone may become out of balance and may turn to expose another surface to the wind. A ventifact that has been eroded to three curved facets is called a dreikanter. Ventifacts are produced under arid conditions and are generally formed from hard, fine-grained rocks such as obsidian, chert, or quartzite.

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  • ventifact — [ven′tə fakt΄] n. [< L ventus, a WIND2 + (ART)IFACT] any stone shaped by the abrasion of windblown sand …   English World dictionary

  • Ventifact — U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library ( http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/ )] Atacama Province, Chile (Segerstrom, 1962) [Segerstrom, K. 1962. Deflated marine terrace as a source of dune chains, Atacama Province, Chile. In: Geological Survey… …   Wikipedia

  • ventifact — noun Etymology: Latin ventus + English artifact Date: 1911 a stone worn, polished, or faceted by windblown sand …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ventifact — noun A pebble or little stone shaped and polished by wind blown sand …   Wiktionary

  • ventifact —    A stone or pebble that has been shaped, worn, faceted, cut, or polished by the abrasive action of windblown sand, usually under arid conditions. When the pebble is at the ground surface, as in a desert pavement, the upper part is polished… …   Glossary of landform and geologic terms

  • ventifact — n. rillstone, stone whose surface has been worn down by erosion caused by wind driven sand (Geology) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • ventifact — [ vɛntɪfakt] noun Geology a stone shaped by the erosive action of wind blown sand. Origin early 20th cent.: from L. ventus wind + fact , facere make …   English new terms dictionary

  • ventifact — ven·ti·fact …   English syllables

  • ventifact — ven•ti•fact [[t]ˈvɛn təˌfækt[/t]] n. gel a pebble or cobble that has been faceted, grooved, and polished by the erosive action of wind driven sand • Etymology: 1911; < L venti , comb. form of ventus wind I+(arti)fact …   From formal English to slang

  • ventifact — A stone which has been shaped by the wind or wind driven sand …   Grandiloquent dictionary

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