cerussite

American  

[seer-uh-sahyt, si-ruhs-ahyt] / ˈsɪər əˌsaɪt, sɪˈrʌs aɪt /

noun

1. a mineral, lead carbonate, PbCO 3 , found in masses or in colorless, transparent crystals: an important ore of lead.

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cerussite British  

/ ˈsɪərəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. Also called: white lead ore.  a usually white mineral, found in veins. It is a source of lead. Composition: lead carbonate. Formula: PbCO 3 . Crystal structure: orthorhombic

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Etymology

Origin of cerussite

1840–50; < Latin cēruss ( a ) ceruse + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

It is often associated with blende and pyrites, and with calcite, fluorspar, quartz, barytes, chalybite and pearlspar as gangue minerals; in the upper oxidized parts of the deposits, cerussite and anglesite occur as alteration products.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various

In some districts cerussite and a little anglesite are also found in the oxide zone.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)

A heavy, troublesome rock which accumulated in the sluices, much to the disgust of the miners, turned out to be cerussite, a fine ore of lead.

From The Business of Mining A brief non-technical exposition of the principles involved in the profitable operation of mines by Hoskin, Arthur J.

The minerals containing lead are principally galenite or lead sulphate, cerussite or lead carbonate; while the zinc is contained in the minerals, sphalerite or zinc sulphide, calamine or zinc silicate, smithsonite or zinc carbonate, etc.

From North America by Russell, Israel C. (Cook)

It is a constituent of the minerals cerussite, malachite, azurite, spathic iron ore, calamine, strontianite, witherite, calcite aragonite, limestone, &c.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 3 "Capefigue" to "Carneades" by Various