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

In the lava of 1848 leucite was found to reach 44.9 per cent. of the whole mass.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Hull, Edward

These observations led me to reject the opinion of those who hold that crystals of leucite are pre-existent in the lava.

From The Eruption of Vesuvius in 1872 by Palmieri, Luigi

These extensive sheets of water are surrounded by banks of tuff and volcanic sand, in which fragments of augite, leucite, and crystals of titanite are distributed.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Hull, Edward

They resemble leucite in their shape, but have not yet been proved to have its crystalline outlines.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3 "Borgia, Lucrezia" to "Bradford, John" by Various