- Cactolith
"A cactolith is a quasihorizontal chonolith composed of anastomosing ductoliths whose distal ends curl like a harpolith, thin like a sphenolith, or bulge discordantly like an akmolith or ethmolith."
This term and its associated definition were created by
Charles B. Hunt , aUSGS researcher, in his paper "Geology and geography of theHenry Mountains region,Utah " (1953 ). Whilst he was in fact describing an actual geological feature - alaccolith which he saw as resembling acactus [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GDX/is_4_78/ai_104522725] - he was also, tongue-in-cheek, commenting on what he saw as an absurd number of "-lith" words in the field ofGeology .
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