allophane

American

[al-uh-feyn] / ˈæl əˌfeɪn /

noun

a clay mineral, an amorphous hydrous silicate of aluminum, occurring in blue, green, or yellow, resinous to earthy masses.

allophane British

/ ˈæləˌfeɪn /

noun

a variously coloured amorphous mineral consisting of hydrated aluminium silicate and occurring in cracks in some sedimentary rocks

"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

Etymology

Origin of allophane

1835–45; < Greek allophanḗs, equivalent to allo- allo- + phan- (stem of phaínesthai to appear) + -ēs adj. suffix

Example Sentences

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Allophane, a hydrous aluminium silicate, with the composition Al2SiO5 + 5H2O, forming crusts in the cavities of various rocks and commonly of a delicate blue colour.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023