dolomite
Americannoun
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a very common mineral, calcium magnesium carbonate, CaMg(CO3 ) 2 , occurring in crystals and in masses.
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a rock consisting essentially or largely of this mineral.
noun
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a white mineral often tinted by impurities, found in sedimentary rocks and veins. It is used in the manufacture of cement and as a building stone (marble). Composition: calcium magnesium carbonate. Formula: CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 . Crystal structure: hexagonal (rhombohedral)
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a sedimentary rock resembling limestone but consisting principally of the mineral dolomite. It is an important source of magnesium and its compounds, and is used as a building material and refractory
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A gray, pink, or white rhombohedral mineral. Dolomite occurs in curved saddlelike crystals with a pearly to glassy luster. It is a common rock-forming mineral. Chemical formula: CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 .
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A sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dolomite
1785–95; < French, named after D. de Dolom ( ieu ) (1750–1801), French mineralogist; see -ite 1
Vocabulary lists containing dolomite
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Moving into the chef’s kitchen, there are marble and dolomite countertops, a custom mosaic tile backsplash, a wine tap, and state-of-the-art appliances.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 17, 2025
Chhattisgarh, for instance, is India's sole producer of tin concentrates and moulding sand, and a leading source of coal, dolomite, bauxite and high-grade iron ore, according to the ministry of mines.
From BBC • May 27, 2025
It accounts for 36% of the country's tin, 20% iron ore, 18% coal, 11% dolomite and 4% of diamond and marble reserves.
From BBC • May 27, 2025
But in Last Chance Lake, calcium combines with plentiful carbonate as well as magnesium to form dolomite, the same mineral that forms picturesque mountain ranges.
From Science Daily • Jan. 22, 2024
Upon further analysis, another geologist concluded that it might be possible to “age” the surface of a dolomite marble statue in a couple of months using potato mold.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
