evaporite

[ ih-vap-uh-rahyt ]

/ ɪˈvæp əˌraɪt /

Save This Word!

noun Geology.

any sedimentary rock, as gypsum or rock salt, formed by precipitation from evaporating seawater.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of evaporite

First recorded in 1920–25; evapor(ation) + -ite¹

Words nearby evaporite

evaporation, evaporation pan, evaporation pressure, evaporator, evaporimeter, evaporite, evapotranspiration, Evaristus, Evarts, évasé, evasion

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

How to use evaporite in a sentence

Borates are mined from evaporite deposits at Searles Lake, California, and other desert locations.
Deserts|A. S. Walker
The Rotliegendes, a hydrocarbon reservoir in the North Sea, is associated with extensive evaporite deposits.
Deserts|A. S. Walker

British Dictionary definitions for evaporite

evaporite

/ (ɪˈvæpəˌraɪt) /

noun

any sedimentary rock, such as rock salt, gypsum, or anhydrite, formed by evaporation of former seas or salt-water lakes

Word Origin for evaporite

C20: evaporation + -ite 1

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 evaporite

evaporite

[ ĭ-văp′ə-rīt′ ]

A sedimentary rock that consists of one or more minerals formed as precipitates from the evaporation of a saline solution, such as saltwater. Usually, the first evaporite to form from saltwater is calcium, followed by gypsum and then halite.