pyrite

American

[pahy-rahyt] / ˈpaɪ raɪt /

noun

a very common brass-yellow mineral, iron disulfide, FeS 2 , with a metallic luster, burned to sulfur dioxide in the manufacture of sulfuric acid: chemically similar to marcasite, but crystallizing in the isometric system.

pyrite British

/ paɪˈrɪtɪk, ˈpaɪraɪt /

noun

Nontechnical name: fool's gold. Also called: iron pyrites. pyrites. 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: cubic

"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

pyrite Scientific

/ 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: FeS ₂ .

Other Word Forms

Etymology

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-, -ite ¹

Compare meaning

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chalcopyrite vs. pyrite

Vocabulary lists containing pyrite

2015 National Spelling Bee Words

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Rocks and Minerals - Middle School and High School

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Biogeology

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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.

Some fossil samples contained pyrite, a mineral made of iron and sulfur.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

Bhattacharya explained, "I am trying to understand how lithium and pyrite could be associated with one another."

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

Perhaps everything Lisa Vanderpump touches does turn to gold — or, at least, shiny, fake pyrite.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2025

I placed it underneath his pillow, along with my copper pyrite rock for good luck.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

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