albite

[ al-bahyt ]

/ ˈæl baɪt /

noun Mineralogy.

the sodium end member of the plagioclase feldspar group, light-colored and found in alkalic igneous rocks.

Nearby words

albinoni, albinoni, tomaso, albinotic, albinus, albion, albite, albitic, albizu campos, albizu campos, pedro, albizzia, albm

Origin of albite

1835–45; < Latin alb(us) white + -ite¹

Related forms

al·bit·ic

[al-bit-ik] /ælˈbɪt ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for albite

Some of the trachytic lavas are said to abound with crystals of albite.
Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume I|Karl Ritter von Scherzer
Zygadite, zig′a-dīt, n. a variety of albite found in thin twin crystals at Andreasberg, in the Harz Mountains.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
The felspar of the granulites is mostly orthoclase or cryptoperthite; microcline, oligoclase and albite are also common.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3|Various
Albite found at Mineral Hill, Pennsylvania, also exhibits the chatoyancy of moonstone.
Birds and Nature, Vol. 12 No. 2 [July 1902]|Various

British Dictionary definitions for albite

albite

/ (ˈælbaɪt) /

noun

a colourless, milky-white, yellow, pink, green, or black mineral of the feldspar group and plagioclase series, found in igneous sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Composition: sodium aluminium silicate. Formula: NaALSi 3 O 8 . Crystal structure: triclinic

Derived Forms

albitic (ælˈbɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for albite

C19: from Latin albus white

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

Science definitions for albite

albite

[ ăl′bīt′ ]

A clear to milky white triclinic mineral of the plagioclase group. Albite is common in igneous rocks, especially granite, and in metamorphic rocks that formed at low temperatures. Chemical formula: NaAlSi3O8.