n.
Pronunciation: ' n ī s
Function: noun
Etymology: German Gneis, alteration of Middle High German gneiste spark, from Old High German gneisto; akin to Old English fy ̄ r gn ā st spark
Date: 1757
: a foliated metamorphic rock corresponding in composition to a feldspathic plutonic rock (as granite)
– gneiss · ic \ ' n ī -sik \ adjective
– gneiss · oid \ - ˌ so ̇ id \ adjective
– gneiss · ose \ - ˌ s ō s \ adjective