breccia
UK[ˈbretʃə]US[ˈbretʃə]
n
A rock composed of angular fragments of older rocks or minerals cemented together in a finer-grained matrix.
Etymology
The term 'breccia' entered English in the late 18th century as a direct loan from Italian, where it means "rubble" or "broken stones." The Italian word itself is of Germanic origin, likely derived from Old High German brecha meaning "a breaking," which is related to the verb "to break." This etymological journey perfectly captures the rock's defining characteristic: it is literally composed of broken, angular fragments of pre-existing rock material. The word's logic is transparent, moving from the general concept of fracture and fragmentation to its specific application in the geological science of classifying sedimentary rocks.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Italian. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
The canyon walls exposed a thick layer of volcanic breccia.
Geologists study breccia to understand ancient fault zones and impact craters.
The specimen was a beautiful breccia with colorful fragments cemented by white calcite.