samarskite

American

[suh-mahr-skahyt] / səˈmɑr skaɪt /

noun

a velvet-black mineral, a complex columbate-tantalate of uranium, cerium, etc., occurring in masses: a minor source of uranium, thorium, and rare-earth oxides.

samarskite British

/ səˈmɑːskaɪt /

noun

a velvety black mineral of complex composition occurring in pegmatites: used as a source of uranium and certain rare earth elements

"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

Etymology

Origin of samarskite

< German Samarskit (1847), after Russian mining engineer V.E. Samarskiĭ- Bykhovets (1803–70); -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.

Thus, after a careful analysis of the rare mineral samarskite, she found an insoluble residue which led her to believe might contain unknown elements.

From Project Gutenberg

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