Chondrules
/ˈkɒn.druːlz/noun
Tiny round grains found in many meteorites, especially primitive stony meteorites.
Did you know?Chondrules are named from Greek khondros, meaning “grain” or “lump,” because early scientists saw them as little rounded grains locked inside meteorites.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χόνδρος (chóndros)
“grain, lump, or coarse particle”
Late 19th Century
English
chondrule
“a small rounded spherule found in meteorites”
19th Century
German/Scientific Latin
Chondren / chondrus
“scientific forms used in mineralogy and meteorite study for grain-like bodies”
Modern English
English
chondrules
“the small spherical components of many chondritic meteorites”