chlorite

[ klawr-ahyt, klohr- ]

/ ˈklɔr aɪt, ˈkloʊr- /

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noun

a group of minerals, hydrous silicates of aluminum, ferrous iron, and magnesium, occurring in green platelike crystals or scales.

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Origin of chlorite

First recorded in 1595–1605; chlor-¹ + -ite¹

OTHER WORDS FROM chlorite

chlo·rit·ic

[klaw-rit-ik, kloh-], /klɔˈrɪt ɪk, kloʊ-/, adjective

Words nearby chlorite

chlorinated lime, chlorine, chlorine 36, chlorine dioxide, chlorinity, chlorite, chlormerodrin, chloro-, chloroacetic, chloroacetic acid, chloroacetone

Other definitions for chlorite (2 of 2)

chlorite²

[ klawr-ahyt, klohr- ]

/ ˈklɔr aɪt, ˈkloʊr- /

noun

a salt of chlorous acid, as potassium chlorite, KClO2.

Origin of chlorite

First recorded in 1850–55; chlor-² + -ite¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chlorite in a sentence

Quartz from thin veins, with particles of an adhering rock, probably chlorite-slate.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Whether the colour depends upon epidote, chlorite, or some other substance, we were not able to determine.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XVI|Various
Chlorite is another soft, easily scratched mineral, generally of a dark-green colour.
Geology|James Geikie
Sometimes it occurs in beds (chlorite-slate), and is often found coating the walls of fissures in certain rocks.
Geology|James Geikie

The three last-mentioned minerals—talc, serpentine, and chlorite—are all silicates of magnesia.
Geology|James Geikie

British Dictionary definitions for chlorite (1 of 2)

chlorite¹

/ (ˈklɔːraɪt) /

noun

any of a group of green soft secondary minerals consisting of the hydrated silicates of aluminium, iron, and magnesium in monoclinic crystalline form: common in metamorphic rocks

Derived forms of chlorite

chloritic (klɔːˈrɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for chlorite

C18: from Latin chlōrītis precious stone of a green colour, from Greek khlōritis, from khlōros greenish yellow

British Dictionary definitions for chlorite (2 of 2)

chlorite²

/ (ˈklɔːraɪt) /

noun

any salt of chlorous acid, containing the monovalent ion ClO 2 –

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for chlorite (1 of 2)

chlorite¹

[ klôr′īt′ ]

A usually green or black, flaky mineral that looks like mica. Chlorite is either monoclinic or triclinic and occurs in low-grade metamorphic rocks (rocks that have undergone little metamorphism). It often forms by the alteration of dark minerals (often rich in iron and magnesium) during metamorphism. Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8.

Scientific definitions for chlorite (2 of 2)

chlorite²

[ klôr′īt′ ]

A salt containing the group ClO2.