monazite

[ mon-uh-zahyt ]

/ ˈmɒn əˌzaɪt /

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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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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

Monastral, monatomic, monaul, monaural, monaxial, monazite, Mönchengladbach, mon cher, Monck, Monclova, Moncton

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.