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halite

American

[hal-ahyt, hey-lahyt] / ˈhæl aɪt, ˈheɪ laɪt /

noun

a soft white or colorless mineral, sodium chloride, NaCl, occurring in cubic crystals with perfect cleavage; rock salt.

halite British

/ ˈhælaɪt /

noun

Also called: rock salt. a colourless or white mineral sometimes tinted by impurities, found in beds as an evaporite. It is used to produce common salt and chlorine. Composition: sodium chloride. Formula: NaCl. Crystal structure: cubic

"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

halite Scientific

/ hăl′īt′,hā′līt′ /

A colorless or white mineral occurring as cubic crystals. Halite is found in dried lakebeds in arid climates and is used as table salt. Chemical formula: NaCl.
See more at salt

Etymology

Origin of halite

First recorded in 1865–70; hal- + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Chemical sedimentary rocks consisting of halite are called rock salt.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

We drove past the Devil’s Golf Course, a jagged expanse of halite salt-crystal formations.

From Washington Post • Nov. 23, 2016

Examples of minerals are feldspar, quartz, mica, halite, calcite, and amphibole.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Discovery of abundant cellulose microfibers encased in 250 Ma Permian halite: a macromolecular target in the search for life on other planets, Astrobiology, 8:1–14.

From Forbes • Jan. 1, 2014

Soluble minerals like halite can't be washed, but should be rinsed with alcohol.

From Let's Collect Rocks and Shells by Shell Union Oil Corporation

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023