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

Derived 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

CALCITE, a mineral consisting of naturally occurring calcium carbonate, CaCO3, crystallizing in the rhombohedral system.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" by Various

In shells originally made of ARAGONITE, a crystalline form of carbonate of lime, that mineral is usually replaced by CALCITE, a more stable form of the same substance.

From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon