pyroxene

American  

[pahy-rok-seen, puh-, pahy-rok-seen] / paɪˈrɒk sin, pə-, ˈpaɪ rɒkˌsin /

noun

1. any of a very common group of minerals of many varieties, silicates of magnesium, iron, calcium, and other elements, occurring as important constituents of many kinds of rocks, especially basic igneous rocks.

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pyroxene British  

/ ˌpaɪrɒkˈsɛnɪk, paɪˈrɒksiːn /

noun

1. any of a group of silicate minerals having the general formula ABSi 2 O 6 , where A is usually calcium, sodium, magnesium, or iron, and B is usually magnesium, iron, chromium, manganese, or aluminium. Pyroxenes occur in basic igneous rocks and some metamorphic rocks, and have colours ranging from white to dark green or black. They may be monoclinic (clinopyroxenes) or orthorhombic (orthopyroxenes) in crystal structure. Examples are augite (the most important pyroxene), diopside, enstatite, hypersthene, and jadeite

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pyroxene Scientific  

/ pī-rŏk′sēn′ /

1. Any of a series of dark silicate minerals having the general chemical formula ABSi ₂ O ₆, where A is either calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), or iron (Fe), and B is either magnesium, iron, chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), or aluminum (Al). Pyroxenes vary in color from white to dark green or black and are characterized by a rectangular-shaped cross section. They can be either monoclinic or orthorhombic and occur in igneous and metamorphic rocks. The minerals enstatite, diopside, and augite are pyroxenes.

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Other Word Forms

• pyroxenic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pyroxene

1790–1800; < French; pyro-, xeno-; originally supposed to be a foreign substance when found in igneous rocks

Example Sentences

Tarduno and his team used innovative strategies and techniques to examine the strength of the magnetic field by studying magnetism locked in ancient feldspar and pyroxene crystals from the rock anorthosite.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2024

Cheng’s team noted spectral similarities between the Luna 24 samples and Kamo‘oalewa. Observations of the crater’s sides and rim also show it is made of pyroxene, a mineral detected on Kamo‘oalewa as well.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 19, 2024

However, in those cases they had been more complex, magnesium-rich crystals of olivine and pyroxene.

From Scientific American • Oct. 20, 2023

Measurements from orbit show the material is loaded with pyroxene, a mineral associated with explosive volcanic events called pyroclastic flows.

From Scientific American • Jan. 5, 2023

The other minerals found in the concentrates are pebbles and fragments of pyrope, zircon, cyanite, chrome-diopside, enstatite, a green pyroxene, mica, ilmenite, magnetite, chromite, hornblende, olivine, barytes, calcite and pyrites.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 4 "Diameter" to "Dinarchus" by Various