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

These included hospital and micro-CT scans, thin sections, X-ray spectroscopy, clay mineral analyses, and a close study of the rock layers where the fossils were found.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

With time, as the soft tissue decayed, a white-colored clay mineral called kaolinite filled the void left by the brain.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2021

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

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

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