Dictionary.com

retinite

[ ret-n-ahyt ]
/ ˈrɛt nˌaɪt /

noun Mineralogy.

any of various fossil resins, especially one derived from brown coal.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of retinite

1815–25; <French rétinite, equivalent to rétin- (combining form of Greek rhētī́nēresin) + -ite-ite1

Words nearby retinite

retinal rivalry, retinal scan, retinene, retinene1, retinene2, retinite, retinitis, retinitis pigmentosa, retinitis proliferans, retinitis sclopetaria, retino-
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

British Dictionary definitions for retinite

retinite
/ (ˈrɛtɪˌnaɪt) /

noun

any of various resins of fossil origin, esp one derived from lignite

Word Origin for retinite

C19: from French rétinite, from Greek rhētinē resin + -ite 1
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