calcite

[ kal-sahyt ]

noun
  1. one of the commonest minerals, calcium carbonate, CaCO3, found in a great variety of crystalline forms: a major constituent of limestone, marble, and chalk; calc-spar.

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Origin of calcite

1
First recorded in 1840–50; calc- + -ite1

Other words from calcite

  • cal·cit·ic [kal-sit-ik], /kælˈsɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby calcite

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British Dictionary definitions for calcite

calcite

/ (ˈkælsaɪt) /


noun
  1. a colourless or white mineral (occasionally tinged with impurities), found in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, in veins, in limestone, and in stalagmites and stalactites. It is used in the manufacture of cement, plaster, paint, glass, and fertilizer. Composition: calcium carbonate. Formula: CaCO 3 . Crystal structure: hexagonal (rhombohedral)

Derived forms of calcite

  • calcitic (kælˈsɪtɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for calcite

calcite

[ kălsīt′ ]


  1. A usually white, clear, pale-yellow or blue orthorhombic mineral. Calcite occurs in many different forms and is the main component of chalk, limestone, and marble. It is a polymorph of aragonite. Chemical formula: CaCO3.

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