siderite

[sid-uh-rahyt]

noun

1. Also called chalybite. a common mineral, iron carbonate, FeCO 3 , usually occurring in yellowish to deep-brown cleavable masses: a minor ore of iron.

2. a meteorite consisting almost entirely of metallic minerals.

siderite

/ ˌsaɪdəˈrɪtɪk, ˈsaɪdəˌraɪt /

noun

1. Also called: chalybite. a pale yellow to brownish-black mineral consisting chiefly of iron carbonate in hexagonal crystalline form. It occurs mainly in ore veins and sedimentary rocks and is an important source of iron. Formula: FeCO 3

2. a meteorite consisting principally of metallic iron

Other Word Forms

• sideritic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of siderite¹

1570–80, in sense “loadstone”; 1845–50 siderite for def. 1; sider- + -ite ¹; in obsolete sense, variant of siderites < Latin sidērītēs < Greek sidērī́tēs loadstone

Example Sentences

He says that he and his group have ruled out other possible explanations for the skewed ratio of carbon isotopes, such as decomposition of the mineral siderite.

From Nature

The Xinjiang meteorite weighs 17.8 tons and is made of siderite, or iron carbonate, according to a report in the Chinese news media that cited an official research center.

From New York Times

They found that silicate minerals, such as olivine and feldspar, had interacted with CO2-rich liquid water to form siderite crystals.

From BBC

There it forms a large deposit, in a granitic vein running through gneiss, and is accompanied by quartz, siderite, galena, blende, chalcopyrite, &c.

From Project Gutenberg

The entrance is flanked by large chunks of ironstone, or siderite, and features crushed brick paving, a reference to the brickyard that operated there for much of the 20th century.

From Washington Post