barite

American  

[bair-ahyt, bar-] / ˈbɛər aɪt, ˈbær- /

noun

1. a common mineral, barium sulfate, BaSO 4 , occurring in white, yellow, or colorless tabular crystals: the principal ore of barium.

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barite British  

/ ˈbɛəraɪt /

noun

1. Also called: barytes.   heavy spar.  a colourless or white mineral consisting of barium sulphate in orthorhombic crystalline form, occurring in sedimentary rocks and with sulphide ores: a source of barium. Formula: BaSO 4

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barite Scientific  

/ bâr′īt /

1. A usually white, clear, or yellow orthorhombic mineral. Barite occurs as flattened blades or in a circular pattern of crystals that looks like a flower and, when colored red by iron stains, is called a desert rose. It is found in limestone, in clay-rich rocks, and in sandstones. Barite is used as a source of barium. Chemical formula: BaSO ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of barite

First recorded in 1780–90; bar(ytes) + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Because the barite gave the ichthyosaur’s bones a bright glow, the team was able to observe anatomical features that had been overlooked or obscured.

From New York Times • Jun. 1, 2023

A natural copper impurity in the Italian barite was the key to making the object’s luminescence last. Copper ions, once bathed in light, slowly released the stored energy.

From Washington Post • Jan. 30, 2018

A barite mining operation at the Jebel Irhoud massif in Morocco, some 100 kilometers west of Marrakech, turned up a fossil human skull.

From Scientific American • Jun. 8, 2017

Back in 1961, miners searching for the mineral barite stumbled on a stunningly complete fossil skull at Jebel Irhoud, 75 kilometers from Morocco’s west coast.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 7, 2017

The barite mine where Dad worked had a commissary, and the mine owner deducted our bill and the rent for the depot out of Dad’s paycheck every month.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls