pyrite

[ pahy-rahyt ]

/ ˈpaɪ raɪt /

Save This Word!

noun

a very common brass-yellow mineral, iron disulfide, FeS2, with a metallic luster, burned to sulfur dioxide in the manufacture of sulfuric acid: chemically similar to marcasite, but crystallizing in the isometric system.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Also pyrites.

Also called iron pyrites.

Origin of pyrite

1560–70; <Latin pyrītēs<Greek pyrī́tēs, noun use of adj.: of fire, so called because it produces sparks when struck. See pyr-, -ite¹

OTHER WORDS FROM pyrite

py·rit·ic

[pahy-rit-ik, puh-], /paɪˈrɪt ɪk, pə-/, py·rit·i·cal, py·ri·tous

[puh-rahy-tuhs, pahy-], /pəˈraɪ təs, paɪ-/, adjective

Words nearby pyrite

pyridoxamine, pyridoxine, pyriform, pyrimethamine, pyrimidine, pyrite, pyrites, pyritohedron, pyro, pyrobitumen, pyroborate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use pyrite in a sentence

Pyrite, pī′rīt, n. native iron disulphide of a pale-yellow colour and very hard—also Iron pyrites.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
One was by striking a flint against a piece of pyrite of iron, the other by simply rubbing together two pieces of wood.
Indo-China and Its Primitive People|Henry Baudesson
No spars are found accompanying the ore; iron pyrite is occasionally met with, and plumbago is found in the vicinity.
Scenes and Adventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
The mineral is harder than chalcocite, but less hard than pyrite, being easily scratched with a knife.
Birds and all Nature Vol VII, No. 3, March 1900|Various

Pyrite consists of iron and sulphur; magnetite, hematite, and limonite are oxides of iron.
Birds and all Nature, Vol. VI, No. 4, November 1899|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pyrite

pyrite

/ (ˈpaɪraɪt) /

noun

a yellow mineral, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks and in veins. It is a source of sulphur and is used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. Composition: iron sulphide. Formula: FeS 2 . Crystal structure: cubicAlso called: iron pyrites, pyrites Nontechnical name: fool's gold

Derived forms of pyrite

pyritic (paɪˈrɪtɪk) or pyritous, adjective

Word Origin for pyrite

C16: from Latin pyrites flint, from Greek puritēs (lithos) fire (stone), that is, capable of withstanding or striking fire, from pur fire

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 pyrite

pyrite

[ pī′rīt′ ]

A silver to yellow, metallic, cubic mineral. Pyrite often crystallizes in cubes or octahedrons but also occurs as shapeless masses of grains. It occurs in most types of rocks, and is used as a source of iron and in making sulfur dioxide. It is a polymorph of marcasite. Because of its shiny look and often yellow color, it is sometimes mistaken for gold and for this reason is also called fool's gold. Chemical formula: FeS2.