Showing results for pseudomorph. Search instead for paedomorph.

pseudomorph

American

[soo-duh-mawrf] / ˈsu dəˌmɔrf /

noun

an irregular or unclassifiable form.
a mineral having the outward appearance of another mineral that it has replaced by chemical action.

pseudomorph British

/ ˈsjuːdəʊˌmɔːf /

noun

a mineral that has an uncharacteristic crystalline form as a result of assuming the shape of another mineral that it has replaced

"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

Other Word Forms

pseudomorphic adjective
pseudomorphism noun
pseudomorphous adjective

Etymology

Origin of pseudomorph

First recorded in 1840–50; pseudo- + -morph

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In this case, goethite is a pseudomorph after pyrite, meaning it has taken the form of another mineral.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

It is a pseudomorph after iolite, and consists mainly of hydrous aluminium silicate.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various

Cassiterite occurs as a pseudomorph after orthoclase felspar in some of the altered granite of Cornwall, and it has occasionally been found as a cementing material in certain brecciated lodes.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023