anorthite

American

[an-awr-thahyt] / ænˈɔr θaɪt /

noun

Mineralogy.

a white or gray feldspar mineral, CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 , calcic plagioclase.

anorthite British

/ ænˈɔːθaɪt /

noun

a white to greyish-white or reddish-white mineral of the feldspar group and plagioclase series, found chiefly in igneous rocks and more rarely in metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Composition: calcium aluminium silicate. Formula: CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 . Crystal structure: triclinic

"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

anorthite Scientific

/ ăn-ôr′thīt /

A white to gray triclinic mineral of the plagioclase feldspar group. Anorthite is the plagioclase mineral that is richest in calcium and occurs in alkaline igneous rocks such as gabbro. Chemical formula: CaAl ₂ Si ₂ O ₈ .

Other Word Forms

anorthitic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of anorthite

First recorded in 1825–35; an- ¹ + orth- + -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:

anorthite

The name anorthite was given to the Vesuvian mineral by G. Rose in 1823, on account of its anorthic crystallization.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various

Like labradorite and anorthite, it is a common constituent of basic igneous rocks, such as gabbro and basalt.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" by Various

Their commonest minerals are olivine, anorthite, hornblende, augite, biotite and leucite.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

Gabbro, from Carlingford Hill, Ireland, consisting of anorthite, augite, a little olivine, and magnetite.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Edward Hull

The specific gravity of the felspars has been shown by G. Tschermak and V. Goldschmidt to vary according to their chemical composition, rising steadily from 2.57 in orthoclase to 2.75 in anorthite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

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