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pyrophyllite

[ pahy-ruh-fil-ahyt, pahy-rof-uh-lahyt ]
/ ˌpaɪ rəˈfɪl aɪt, paɪˈrɒf əˌlaɪt /

noun

Mineralogy. a phyllosilicate, AlSi2O5(OH), usually having a white or greenish color, and occurring in either foliated or compact masses, the latter variety being used like soapstone.

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Origin of pyrophyllite

First recorded in 1820–30, pyrophyllite is from the German word Pyrophyllit; so called because it exfoliates when heated. See pyro-, -phyll, -ite1

Words nearby pyrophyllite

pyrophoric, pyrophosphatase, pyrophosphate, pyrophosphoric acid, pyrophotometer, pyrophyllite, pyroracemic acid, pyrosis, pyrostat, pyrosulfate, pyrosulfuric
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pyrophyllite

  • Pyrophyllite (hydrated aluminum silicate) resembles talc in some of its properties and is used in much the same way.

    The Economic Aspect of Geology|C. K. Leith

British Dictionary definitions for pyrophyllite

pyrophyllite
/ (ˌpaɪrəʊˈfɪlaɪt) /

noun

a white, silvery, or green micaceous mineral that consists of hydrated aluminium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form and occurs in metamorphic rocks. Formula: Al 2 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2
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