sperrylite

American

[sper-uh-lahyt] / ˈspɛr əˌlaɪt /

noun

a mineral, platinum arsenide, PtAs 2 , occurring in minute tin-white crystals, usually cubes: a minor ore of platinum.

sperrylite British

/ ˈspɛrɪˌlaɪt /

noun

a white metallic mineral consisting of platinum arsenide in cubic crystalline form. Formula: PtAs 2

"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 sperrylite

1905–10; named after F. L. Sperry, 19th-century Canadian chemist, who found it; see -lite

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.

A platinum arsenide, called sperrylite, is sometimes found associated with sulphide minerals in basic igneous rocks.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)

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