iezis

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iezis m (2nd declension)

1. (chiefly plural, mineralogy, geology) rock (mineral layer on the crust of the Earth or of other celestial bodies)

   dolomīta ieži ― dolomite rocks

   kaļķakmens ieži ― limestone rocks

   kalnu ieži ― mountain rocks

   apakšzemes ieži ― underground rocks

   rūdas ieži ― ore rocks

   mēness ieži ― moon rocks

   magmatiskie, metamorfie ieži ― magmatic, metamorphic rocks

   sedimenta ieži, nogulumu ieži, nogulumieži ― sediment rocks

   visa ciemata apkārtne pilna brīnišķīgiem granīta, marmora un citiem iežiem ― all the region of the village (is) full of wonderful granite, marmor and other rocks

   tā kā granīts sastāv no vairākiem minerāliem un... veido veselus kalnus, to vairs nevar saukt par minerālu, bet gan par iezi... tātad kvarcs, vizla un laukšpats ir minerāli, bet šo minerālu sakopojums - granīts ir jau iezis ― since granite is composed of several minerals and... forms the entire mountain, it can no longer be called a mineral, but a rock... likewise quartz, mica and feldspat are minerals, but the combination of these minerals - granite - is already a rock

2. (in the singular, geography) rock (outcrop of such mineral layers, forming a steep slope)

   smilšakmens iezis ― sandstone rock

   sarkanā malā iezis ― red clay rock

   Zvārtes iezis ― Zvārte's rock (in Gauja national park, Latvia)

In the sense of "mineral layer", ieži is almost always used in the plural; the singular forms are very infrequent.

• akmens
• klints