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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.

Nearby words

  1. monatomic,
  2. monaul,
  3. monaural,
  4. monaural diplacusis,
  5. monaxial,
  6. monck,
  7. monclova,
  8. moncton,
  9. mond process,
  10. mondain

Origin of monazite

1830–40; < German Monazit, equivalent to monaz- (< Greek monázein to be alone; see mon-) + -it -ite1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

Science 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.