leucite

American  

[loo-sahyt] / ˈlu saɪt /

noun

1. a whitish or grayish mineral, potassium aluminum silicate, KAlSi 2 O 6 , found in alkali volcanic rocks.

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leucite British  

/ luːˈsɪtɪk, ˈluːsaɪt /

noun

1. a grey or white mineral consisting of potassium aluminium silicate: a source of potash for fertilizers and of aluminium. Formula: KAlSi 2 O 6

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Other Word Forms

• leucitic adjective
• pseudoleucite noun

Etymology

Origin of leucite

From the German word Leukit, dating back to 1790–1800. See leuco-, -ite ¹

Example Sentences

There are great beds of it in the green sands of New Jersey, the Cartersville slates of Georgia, and the leucite rocks of Wyoming.

From Time Magazine Archive

Within it they found crystals of leucite already formed, showing that these are the first to grow while the melted rock is still intensely hot.

From Through Magic Glasses and Other Lectures A Sequel to The Fairyland of Science by Buckley, Arabella B.

The sides of the crater present numerous loose masses, which appear to have been ejected, and consist of glassy feldspar, ice-spar, sodalite, hauyne, spinellane, and leucite.

From COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1 by Humboldt, Alexander von

The flows from Kibo include nepheline and leucite basanite lavas rich in soda felspars.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

They had very little leucite and abounded in pyroxene and olivine, and sometimes contained a few crystals of amphibole.3.

From The Eruption of Vesuvius in 1872 by Palmieri, Luigi