marcasite

American  

[mahr-kuh-sahyt] / ˈmɑr kəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. Also called white iron pyrites.  a common mineral, iron disulfide, FeS 2 , chemically similar to pyrite but crystallizing in the orthorhombic system.

2. any of the crystallized forms of iron pyrites, much used in the 18th century for ornaments.

3. a specimen or ornament of this substance.

---

marcasite British  

/ ˈmɑːkəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. a metallic pale yellow mineral consisting of iron sulphide in orthorhombic crystalline form used in jewellery. Formula: FeS 2

2. a cut and polished form of steel or any white metal used for making jewellery

---

marcasite Scientific  

/ mär′kə-sīt′,-zīt′ /

1. A light yellow to gray, metallic, orthorhombic mineral. Marcasite is a polymorph of pyrite and looks similar to it but has a lower specific gravity, is paler in color, and often has a radiating fibrous structure. Chemical formula: FeS ₂ .

---

Other Word Forms

• marcasitical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of marcasite

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin marcasīta < Arabic marqashīṭā < Aramaic marqəshītā

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

marcasite

In 1918 his collection included a lizard bag with marcasite and a buckle of lapis lazuli.

From New York Times ● May 27, 2013

Nor has the neighborhood been transformed — gentrification hasn’t yet displaced the vendors of bootleg perfume, gray-market cellphones and marcasite jewelry.

From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2011

Instead, we wore massive silver rings with brightly colored jewels and plenty of marcasite.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

These buckles were set with marcasite, garnet, and paste jewels; sometimes they were of gold with real diamonds.

From Two Centuries of Costume in America, Volume 1 (1620-1820) by Alice Morse Earle

Pyriten argenteum was either marcasite or mispickel, neither of which offers much suggestion; nor are we able to hazard an explanation of value.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola