anhydrite

[an-hahy-drahyt]

noun

1. a mineral, anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO 4 , usually occurring in whitish or slightly colored masses.

anhydrite

/ ænˈhaɪdraɪt /

noun

1. a colourless or greyish-white mineral, found in sedimentary rocks. It is used in the manufacture of cement, fertilizers, and chemicals. Composition: anhydrous calcium sulphate. Formula: CaSO 4 . Crystal structure: orthorhombic

Word History and Origins

Origin of anhydrite¹

First recorded in 1825–35; anhydr- + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of anhydrite¹

C19: from _anhydr ( _ous ) + _-ite ¹

Example Sentences

The impact also vaporized anhydrite rock, which blasted ten trillion tons of sulfur compounds aloft.

From The New Yorker

This material included a lot of sulphur-containing minerals such as gypsum and anhydrite, but also carbonates which yielded carbon dioxide.

From BBC

The surveys revealed a multilayer foundation of anhydrite, marl, and limestone, all interspersed with gypsum—which dissolves in contact with water.

From The New Yorker

And the rocks in the Yucatán crater had plenty of sulfur in them: they included thick layers of a mineral called anhydrite, or calcium sulfate, which would have been vaporized in the impact, hurled into the atmosphere, and then precipitated as burning acid rain.

From The New Yorker

The edifice has suffered from structural flaws since its construction as the bedrock upon which it was built is composed of gypsum, anhydrite and limestone, each of which is water soluble, hence undermining the dam’s core with growing cavities.

From US News