pyrites

[pahy-rahy-teez, puh-, pahy-rahyts]

noun, plural py·ri·tes. Mineralogy.

pyrite.
marcasite.
any of various other metallic sulfides, as of copper or tin.

Origin of pyrites

1545–55; < Latin pyrītes (plural); see pyrite

pyrite

[pahy-rahyt]

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.

Also 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

Also called iron pyrites.

Related formspy·rit·ic

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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pyrites

Historical Examples of pyrites

A mixture of common salt assists the decomposition of the pyrites.
Hittel on Gold Mines and Mining
John S. Hittell
The one is galena, a sulphuret of lead; the other, pyrites, a sulphuret of iron.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 447
Various
Pyrites, when thrown upon a spirit, are believed to drive it away.
The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900
Various
The Pyrites are not the only minerals from which Vitriol may be procured.
Elements of the Theory and Practice of Chymistry, 5th ed.
Pierre Joseph Macquer
This is more particularly the case with the Spanish and Portuguese pyrites.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for pyrites

pyrites

noun plural -tes

another name for pyrite
any of a number of other disulphides of metals, esp of copper and tin

pyrite

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 Formspyritic (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

Word Origin and History for pyrites

pyrite

"metallic iron disulfide, fool's gold," 1550s, from Old French pyrite (12c.), from Latin pyrites, from Greek pyrites lithos "stone of fire, flint" (so called because it glitters), from pyrites "of or in fire," from pyr (genitive pyros) "fire" (see fire (n.)). Related: Pyritic.

pyrites in Science

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.