An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

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.

See also: From Gk. chondr-, from chondros “grain,” + diminutive suffix → -ule.