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 /

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

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Etymology

Origin of calcite

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

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Compare meaning

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

• aragonite vs. calcite

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

calcite

Even after the researchers added pyrite and calcite crystals, each with different shapes from quartz, the chimpanzees still recognized and selected the crystal type stones.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

It was rediscovered in 2022 after decades of being overlooked by archaeologists, partially due to the calcite flow on top of it making the rock art difficult to see.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

“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

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

In calcite, for instance, the figure has roughly the shape of a rounded rhombohedron with depressed faces and is symmetrical about three vertical planes.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

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