anorthite

American  

[an-awr-thahyt] / ænˈɔr θaɪt /

noun

Mineralogy.

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

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anorthite British  

/ ænˈɔːθaɪt, ˌænɔːˈθɪtɪk /

noun

1. 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

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anorthite Scientific  

/ ăn-ôr′thīt /

1. 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 .

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anorthitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of anorthite

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

Example Sentences

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

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Hull, Edward

Of their minerals felspar Is usually the most abundant, and is principally labradorite and bytownite, though anorthite occurs in some, while oligoclase and orthoclase have been found in others.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various

In chemical composition and in optical and other physical characters it is thus much nearer to the anorthite end of the series than to albite.

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

In anorthite, for example, these elements are a : b : c = 0.6347 : 1 : 0.5501; α = 93� 13′, β = 115� 55′, γ = 91� 12′.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

Felspar is a generic term which embraces a number of species, such as orthoclase or potash-felspar, albite or soda-felspar, and anorthite or lime-felspar.

From Geology by Geikie, James