calcite
[kal-sahyt]
- one of the commonest minerals, calcium carbonate, CaCO3, found in a great variety of crystalline forms: a major constituent of limestone, marble, and chalk; calc-spar.
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Origin of calcite
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for calcite
Historical Examples
A dark compact rock, in which calcite and sericite predominate.
The Long Labrador TrailDillon Wallace
A vase of calcite, also dedicated by Entemena, has been found at Nippur.
Calcite , calcium carbonate, a rock that includes limestone and marble.
Unexplored!Allen Chaffee
The density of the globules (2.58) is similar to that of ordinary varieties of calcite.
Cerium looks like iron, having both its color and lustre, but is heavier, and has the hardness of calcite.
calcite
- a colourless or white mineral (occasionally tinged with impurities), found in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, in veins, in limestone, and in stalagmites and stalactites. It is used in the manufacture of cement, plaster, paint, glass, and fertilizer. Composition: calcium carbonate. Formula: CaCO 3 . Crystal structure: hexagonal (rhombohedral)
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for calcite
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
calcite
[kăl′sīt′]
- A usually white, clear, pale-yellow or blue orthorhombic mineral. Calcite occurs in many different forms and is the main component of chalk, limestone, and marble. It is a polymorph of aragonite. Chemical formula: CaCO3.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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