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.

Nearby words

pyrophoric, pyrophosphatase, pyrophosphate, pyrophosphoric acid, pyrophotometer, pyrophyllite, pyroracemic acid, pyrosis, pyrostat, pyrosulfate, pyrosulfuric

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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