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pyrite

[ pahy-rahyt ]
/ ˈpaɪ raɪt /

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.

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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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pyrite

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.