aragonite

American  

[uh-rag-uh-nahyt, ar-uh-guh-] / əˈræg əˌnaɪt, ˈær ə gə- /

noun

1. a mineral, orthorhombic calcium carbonate, CaCO 3 , chemically identical with calcite but differing in crystallization and in having a higher specific gravity and less marked cleavage.

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aragonite British  

/ əˈræɡəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a generally white or grey mineral, found in sedimentary rocks and as deposits from hot springs. Composition: calcium carbonate. Formula: CaCO 3 . Crystal structure: orthorhombic

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aragonite Scientific  

/ ə-răg′ə-nīt′,ăr′ə-gə- /

1. A usually white, yellowish, or pink orthorhombic mineral that can occur in many different colors. Aragonite occurs as acicular (needlelike) or tabular crystals, or as fibrous aggregates. It is found in gypsum deposits, at the tips of calcite crystals, in mollusk shells and pearls, and in living reef structures. It is a polymorph of calcite. Chemical formula: CaCO ₃ .

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Etymology

Origin of aragonite

1795–1805; named after Aragon (the province, where first found) + -ite ¹

Compare meaning

How does aragonite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aragonite vs. calcite

Example Sentences

Under a microscope, most of the heart cockle's shell has a layered structure, with thin plates of aragonite stacked in different orientations, "kind of like fancy brickwork," McCoy said.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

The mollusc deposits layers of aragonite and conchiolin, which together form nacre, also know as mother-of-pearl.

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2022

In the simulations, some of the biggest changes in aragonite happened in regions that are home to coral reefs, such as the southwestern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

From Nature • Mar. 15, 2020

Calcite and closely-related polymorph aragonite are secreted by organisms to form shells and physical structures like corals.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

I didn't want a little brown aragonite figurine of T. rex, with its mouth open and its teeth bared, nor did I want the Dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period poster.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English