calcite

American  

[kal-sahyt] / ˈkæl saɪt /

noun

1. one of the commonest minerals, calcium carbonate, CaCO 3 , found in a great variety of crystalline forms: a major constituent of limestone, marble, and chalk; calc-spar.

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calcite British  

/ ˈkælsaɪt, kælˈsɪtɪk /

noun

1. 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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calcite Scientific  

/ kăl′sīt′ /

1. 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: CaCO ₃ .

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Other Word Forms

• calcitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of calcite

First recorded in 1840–50; calc- + -ite ¹

Compare meaning

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

• aragonite vs. calcite

Example Sentences

“I was in the studio one day, working on this piece of honeycomb calcite, and I just went numb,” she recalls.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2024

Trilobites are named for their three-lobed body, which is covered by a durable exoskeleton enriched in calcite that is easily preserved; making trilobites an iconic part of the Paleozoic fossil record.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023

Deciphering the chemical composition of each individual page—each thin, calcite layer—gives scientists a diary of the seawater through which the animal journeyed as it built its shell.

From National Geographic • Aug. 23, 2023

It’s a desolate alluvial fan on the southern flanks of the Cady Mountains, where sparkling calcite crystals and pieces of quartz, jasper and agate are continually carried down the slopes by thunderstorms and flash floods.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2023

The rauchstein of the modern section is distinguished by stringers of calcite, which give it at times a brecciated appearance.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius