augite

American  

[aw-jahyt] / ˈɔ dʒaɪt /

noun

1. a silicate mineral, chiefly of calcium, magnesium, iron, and aluminum: a dark-green to black variety of monoclinic pyroxene, characteristic of basic rocks.

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augite British  

/ ɔːˈɡɪtɪk, ˈɔːɡaɪt /

noun

1. a black or greenish-black mineral of the pyroxene group, found in igneous rocks. Composition: calcium magnesium iron aluminium silicate. General formula: (Ca,Mg,Fe,Al)(Si,Al) 2 O 6 . Crystal structure: monoclinic

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augite Scientific  

/ ô′jīt′ /

1. A glassy, dark-green to black variety of pyroxene. Chemical formula: (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe,Al)(Si,Al) ₂ O ₆ .

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Other Word Forms

• augitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of augite

1780–90; < Latin augītis a kind of precious stone < Greek, equivalent to aug ( ḗ ) sunlight + -ītis, feminine of -ītēs -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Like obsidian, in fact, their edges are sharp but the shards have an almost twirly shape and lack the crystalline structure of black-colored minerals like augite or tourmaline.

From Salon

Pertaining to, or like, augite; containing augite as a principal constituent; as, augitic rocks.

From Project Gutenberg

It is now applied to the dark-coloured aluminous members of the monoclinic amphiboles, occupying in this group the same position that augite occupies in the pyroxene group.

From Project Gutenberg

The biotite is brown; the hornblende brown or greenish brown; the augite usually green.

From Project Gutenberg

Many accessory minerals such as tourmaline and zircon have been identified also, while augite, hornblende and other volcanic minerals occur in varying proportion as in all the sediments of the open sea.

From Project Gutenberg