actinolite

[ ak-tin-l-ahyt, ak-tuh-nl- ]

nounMineralogy.

a variety of amphibole, occurring in greenish bladed crystals or in masses.

Origin of actinolite

First recorded in 1825–35; actino- + -lite

Other words from actinolite

ac·tin·o·lit·ic [ak-tin-l-it-ik, ak-tuh-nl-], /ækˌtɪn lˈɪt ɪk, ˌæk tə nl-/, adjective

Words Nearby actinolite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use actinolite in a sentence

actinolite is a green silicate of lime, magnesia, and iron 322 especially common in certain metamorphic rocks.
Geology | William J. Miller
It is entirely composed of a slaty rock, traversed by numerous veins of actinolite.
A Guide to the Mount's Bay and the Land's End | John Ayrton Paris
The actinolite slate is dark green, and formed by an almost insensible gradation from the mica slate.
In the Arctic Seas | Francis Leopold McClintock
Byssolite, bis′o-līt, n. an olive-green variety of actinolite, in long crystals.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) | Various

British Dictionary definitions for actinolite

actinolite

/ (ækˈtɪnəˌlaɪt) /

noun

a green mineral of the amphibole group consisting of calcium magnesium iron silicate. Formula: Ca 2 (Mg,Fe) 5 Si 8 O 22 (OH) 2

Origin of actinolite

C19: from actino- (from the radiating crystals in some forms) + -lite

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 actinolite

actinolite

[ ăk-tĭn′ə-līt′ ]

A greenish variety of amphibole. Actinolite is a monoclinic mineral, and occurs in long, slender, green needlelike crystals, or in fibrous, radiated forms in metamorphic rocks. Chemical formula: Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22OH2.

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