Muscovite

[ muhs-kuh-vahyt ]

/ ˈmʌs kəˌvaɪt /

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noun

a native or inhabitant of Moscow.

a native or inhabitant of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy.

Also called white mica .(lowercase)Mineralogy. common light-colored mica, essentially KAl3Si3O10(OH)2, used as an electrical insulator.

Archaic. a Russian.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Moscow, Muscovy, or the Muscovites.

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Origin of Muscovite

First recorded in 1545–55; Muscov(y) + -ite¹

Words nearby Muscovite

muscles of mastication, muscle spasm, muscle spindle, muscone, muscovado, Muscovite, Muscovy, Muscovy duck, muscular, muscular anesthesia, muscular asthenopia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Muscovite in a sentence

A year ago, she was dating a Muscovite and considering moving there to advance her career as a fashion designer.
Kiev Defiant at Russian Aggression|Vijai Maheshwari|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For a young Muscovite girl, for example, with whom you schoolkids have been exchanging letters of friendship.
Ismail Kadare: How I Write|Noah Charney|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is the place where the Muscovite criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
In general the mandates of princes and the lessons of priests were received by the Muscovite with profound reverence.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

As he doffed his Muscovite cap, locks of thick curly hair fell over his broad, massive forehead.
Michael Strogoff|Jules Verne
Me I read them to you some day with a tremble of the voice and then you will surely fall in love with a Muscovite.
Polly the Pagan|Isabel Anderson
He did not love this imperious cavalier; he was a Courtlander and holding a Muscovite's horse.
Joan of the Sword Hand|S(amuel) R(utherford) Crockett

British Dictionary definitions for Muscovite (1 of 2)

muscovite

/ (ˈmʌskəˌvaɪt) /

noun

a pale brown, or green, or colourless mineral of the mica group, found in plutonic rocks such as granite and in sedimentary rocks. It is used in the manufacture of lubricants, insulators, paints, and Christmas "snow". Composition: potassium aluminium silicate. Formula: KAl 2 (AlSi 3)O 10 (OH) 2 . Crystal structure: monoclinicSee also mica

Word Origin for muscovite

C19: from the phrase Muscovy glass, an early name for mica

British Dictionary definitions for Muscovite (2 of 2)

Muscovite

/ (ˈmʌskəˌvaɪt) /

noun

a native or inhabitant of Moscow

adjective

an archaic word for Russian

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 Muscovite

muscovite

[ mŭs′kə-vīt′ ]

A usually colorless to yellow or pale-gray mica. Muscovite is a monoclinic mineral and is found in igneous rocks, such as granites and pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, such as schists and gneisses, and in many sedimentary rocks. Chemical formula: KAl2(AlSi3)O10(OH)2.