alunite

American

[al-yuh-nahyt] / ˈæl jəˌnaɪt /

noun

a mineral, a hydrous sulfate of potassium and aluminum, KAl 3 (SO4 ) 2 (OH) 6 , commonly occurring in fine-grained masses.

alunite British

/ ˈæljʊˌnaɪt /

noun

a white, grey, or reddish mineral consisting of hydrated aluminium sulphate. It occurs in volcanic igneous rocks and is a source of potassium and aluminium compounds. Formula: KAl 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6

"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 alunite

1865–70; < French alun (< Latin alūmen alum ¹ ) + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

alunite

Instead, they will use alunite, a grey-white mineral.

From Time Magazine Archive

But OPM did not specify whether alunite ore could be used, hemmed & hawed over location of the plant.

From Time Magazine Archive

Meanwhile, Kal-unite's engineer-president, Frank Eichelberger, started fiddling with alunite.

From Time Magazine Archive

A report recommending alunite as an aluminum source was prepared by the Bureau of Mines more than six weeks ago.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of the interesting features of this occurrence is the abundance of alunite.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by C. K. (Charles Kenneth) Leith

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