diatomaceous earth
- a fine siliceous earth composed chiefly of the cell walls of diatoms: used in filtration, as an abrasive, etc.
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Origin of diatomaceous earth
First recorded in 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for diatomite
Contemporary Examples
The bluish pellets of diatomite soaked in hydrocyanic acid were poured through chutes.
Historical Examples
Diatomite is principally used for the manufacture of dynamite on account of its value as an absorbent.
The New Gresham EncyclopediaVarious
diatomite
- a soft very fine-grained whitish rock consisting of the siliceous remains of diatoms deposited in the ocean or in ponds or lakes. It is used as an absorbent, filtering medium, insulator, filler, etcSee also diatomaceous earth
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diatomaceous earth
- an unconsolidated form of diatomiteAlso called: kieselguhr
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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
diatomaceous earth
(dī′ə-tə-mā′shəs, dī-ăt′ə-)- A powder made of the desiccated shells of diatoms, used as a filtering agent, adsorbent, and abrasive in many chemical operations.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
diatomite
[dī-ăt′ə-mīt′]
- A fine, light-colored, friable sedimentary rock consisting mainly of the silica-rich cell walls of diatoms. Diatomite forms both in lacustrine and marine environments. It is used in industry as a filler, filtering agent, absorbent, abrasive, and insulator.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.