clay mineral

American  

noun

1. any of a group of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals, as kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite, that constitute the major portion of most clays.

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clay mineral British  

noun

1. any of a group of minerals consisting of hydrated aluminium silicates: the major constituents of clays

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Etymology

Origin of clay mineral

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

MIT geologists have found that a clay mineral on the seafloor, called smectite, has a surprisingly powerful ability to sequester carbon over millions of years.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2023

On the weathered surface the feldspar has been altered to the chalky-looking clay mineral kaolinite.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

“But to geologists, it’s pretty exciting, because it’s a clay mineral that forms in a particular aqueous environment.”

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2014

Late Noachian/Early Hesperian or younger age indicates that clay mineral formation on Mars extended beyond Noachian time.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 23, 2014

It is generally imbedded in lumps in the red clay mineral soil.

From Scenes and Andventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas by Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe