chondrule kondrul Fr.: chondrule Millimeter-sized grains of → silicate sometimes found in large numbers in → chondrite meteorites. They are essentially glassy beads made by a violent but brief heating event that caused dust grains to form melt droplets. However, the cause of the heating remains unknown. From Gk. chondr-, from chondros "grain," + diminutive suffix → -ule. |