kyanite

American  

[kahy-uh-nahyt] / ˈkaɪ əˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a mineral, aluminum silicate, Al 2 SiO 5 , occurring in blue or greenish bladed triclinic crystals, used as a refractory.

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kyanite British  

/ ˈkaɪəˌnaɪt, ˌkaɪəˈnɪtɪk /

noun

1. a grey, green, or blue mineral consisting of aluminium silicate in triclinic crystalline form. It occurs in metamorphic rocks and is used as a refractory. Formula AL 2 SiO 5

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kyanite Scientific  

/ kī′ə-nīt′ /

1. A bluish-green to colorless triclinic mineral. Kyanite occurs as long, thin, blade-shaped crystals in metamorphic rocks. It is unique among minerals in having two grades of hardness, one along its length, and one along its width. It is a polymorph of andalusite and sillimanite, but can form at lower temperatures than either of these. Chemical formula: Al ₂ SiO ₅ .

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Other Word Forms

• kyanitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of kyanite

1785–95; irregular < Greek kýan ( os ) cyan + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Inside was a dried sage bundle and my “crystal prescription”: The blue kyanite, desert diamond, amethyst, pink Botswana agate and crystal quartz — which is apparently the black skinny jean of the crystal community.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2017

She seemed certain that she knew what was missing in my life: blue kyanite.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2017

She proceeded to tell me that the very crystal I was missing — the blue kyanite — indicated that I had psychic gifts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2017

In addition to olivine, other common neosilicate minerals include garnet, topaz, kyanite, and zircon.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

The garnet sometimes forms good dodecahedra, but may occur as rounded grains, and encloses quartz, rutile, kyanite, and other minerals very frequently.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various