limonite

American  

[lahy-muh-nahyt] / ˈlaɪ məˌnaɪt /

noun

Mineralogy.

1. an amorphous hydrated ferric oxide, varying in color from dark brown to yellow, used as an ore of iron.

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limonite British  

/ ˌlaɪməˈnɪtɪk, ˈlaɪməˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a common brown, black, or yellow amorphous secondary mineral that consists of hydrated ferric oxides and is a source of iron. Formula: FeO(OH). n H 2 O

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Other Word Forms

• limonitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of limonite

1815–25; < Greek leimṓn meadow + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limonite

Another is the brokerage’s projected saprolite and limonite sales volumes of 6.7 million wet metric tons and 1.4 million wet metric tons, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

The person did not specify how much the smelter is buying but said the purchases are of low-grade limonite ore.

From Reuters ● Aug. 30, 2023

At first, the cargo hold appeared to match the description on the manifest: 2,300 tons of loose yellow rocks called limonite, a kind of iron ore.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 1, 2017

The results of this process are illustrated in Figure 5.10, which shows a granitic rock in which some of the biotite and amphibole have been altered to form the iron oxide mineral limonite.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The green sand when weathered is brown or rusty coloured, the glauconite being oxidized to limonite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 1 "Gichtel, Johann" to "Glory" by Various