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monazite

[ mon-uh-zahyt ]
/ ˈmɒn əˌzaɪt /

noun

a reddish- or yellowish-brown mineral, a phosphate of cerium and lanthanum, (Ce,La)PO4: the principal ore of thorium.

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seclusion
a false belief or opinion.
the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.
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Origin of monazite

First recorded in 1830–40; from German Monazit, equivalent to monaz- (from Greek monázein “to be alone, live alone”) + -it noun suffix; see mon-,-ite1 (so called from its rarity)

Words nearby monazite

monatomic, monaul, monaural, monaural diplacusis, monaxial, monazite, Mönchengladbach, mon cher, Monck, Mönckeberg's arteriosclerosis, Monclova
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

British Dictionary definitions for monazite

monazite
/ (ˈmɒnəˌzaɪt) /

noun

a yellow to reddish-brown mineral consisting of a phosphate of thorium, cerium, and lanthanum in monoclinic crystalline form

Word Origin for monazite

C19: from German, from Greek monazein to live alone, so called because of its rarity
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 monazite

monazite
[ mŏn′ə-zīt′ ]

A yellow or reddish-brown monoclinic mineral that is a principal ore of several lanthanide (rare-earth) elements. It occurs as tabular crystals in pegmatites, granites, and metamorphic rocks, as well as in sand. Chemical formula: (Ce, La, Nd, Th)PO4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.