mafic

adjective

maf·​ic ˈma-fik How to pronounce mafic (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a group of usually dark-colored minerals rich in magnesium and iron

Examples of mafic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And my lab was just funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to study Plinian eruptions of mafic composition. — Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024 However, there is a group of mafic eruptions that are high in magnesium and iron that also have that magnitude. — Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin magnesium + Latin ferrum iron + English -ic

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mafic was in 1912

Rhymes for mafic

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“Mafic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mafic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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