saussurite

[ saw-suh-rahyt ]

noun

1. a mineral aggregate of albite, zoisite, and other calcium aluminum silicates, formed by alteration of plagioclase feldspars in igneous rocks.

Other Words From

• saus·su·rit·ic [saw-s, uh, -, rit, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of saussurite¹

1805–15; named after H. B. de Saussure (1740–99), Swiss geologist and physicist; -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Saussurite, saw-sū′rīt, n. a fine-grained compact mineral, of grayish colour.

From Project Gutenberg

Equally characteristic of the gabbros is the alteration of the felspars to cloudy, semi-opaque masses of saussurite.

From Project Gutenberg