sandstone

Everyday

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock made of grains of sand pressed and stuck together over a very long time. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography: sandstone forms in layers under old seas, rivers and deserts; it often shows the layers. Many buildings and cliffs are sandstone; Uluru in Australia is a giant sandstone rock. Phrases: red sandstone, sandstone cliffs, sandstone buildings.

Examples

• Sandstone is made of tiny grains of sand. tree →
• The old church is built of red sandstone. tree →
• Uluru is made of sandstone. tree →
• We rubbed sandstone and sand came off. tree →
• Water can soak into sandstone because it has gaps. tree →
• The sandstone cliffs have stripes of different colours. tree →
• He set his teeth and said nothing, but went with the shouting monkeys to a terrace above the red sandstone reservoirs that were half-full of rain water. tree →

Note

Usually uncountable. Sandstone is sedimentary (not igneous or metamorphic). It is porous (lets water in). Under heat and pressure it can become quartzite, a metamorphic rock.