malachite

American  

[mal-uh-kahyt] / ˈmæl əˌkaɪt /

noun

1. a green mineral, basic copper carbonate, Cu 2 CO 3 (OH) 2 , an ore of copper, used for making ornamental articles.

2. a ceramic ware made in imitation of this.

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malachite British  

/ ˈmæləˌkaɪt /

noun

1. a bright green mineral, found in veins and in association with copper deposits. It is a source of copper and is used as an ornamental stone. Composition: hydrated copper carbonate. Formula: Cu 2 CO 3 (OH) 2 . Crystal structure: monoclinic

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malachite Scientific  

/ măl′ə-kīt′ /

1. A bright-green monoclinic mineral occurring as a mass of crystals (an aggregate) with smooth or botryoidal (grape-shaped) surfaces. It is often concentrically banded in different shades of green. Malachite often occurs together with the mineral azurite in copper deposits. Chemical formula: Cu ₂ CO ₃ (OH) ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of malachite

1350–1400; < Greek malách ( ē ) mallow + -ite ¹; replacing Middle English melochites < Middle French melochite, representing Latin molochītis < Greek molochîtis, derivative of molóchē, variant of maláchē

Explanation

Malachite is a vibrant green mineral that's formed by the weathering of copper ore in the ground. Prized as a gemstone for its striped or patterned appearance and bright color, malachite is used in jewelry. Oxidized copper gives malachite its color, and it was that brilliant green that inspired people to begin mining it as early as 4000 BCE. Malachite has been used in paint, sculpture, and jewelry for thousands of years. There are also dozens of superstitions connected to malachite, including the belief that it protects sleeping children from evil spirits. Malachite gets its name from the Greek malakhe, "mallow," a plant whose leaves are the same green hue as the stone.

Example Sentences

Eight hours later, the president strode into the Malachite Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace and sat at a desk.

From BBC • May 23, 2025

A chunk of the mineral malachite, used to make the pigment Malachite Green, sits beneath a portrait of Mark Rothko taken by Herbert Matter and borrowed from the New York Public Library’s picture collection.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 27, 2018

Malachite and azurite are green and blue, respectively, because of their copper content.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Malachite is used in popular fashion accessories, worn by Chilean women in bracelets and anklets as they sashay down the Parque Arauco Mall.

From Time Magazine Archive

Beloved choked on the lemonade he’d just poured for himself, and Malachite threw a tea towel at Whisper, who dodged it, still cackling.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Related Words

• blue-green
• olive