sylvanite

[ sil-vuh-nahyt ]

noun

1. a mineral, gold silver telluride, (AuAg)Te 2 , silver-white with metallic luster, often occurring in crystals so arranged as to resemble written characters: an ore of gold.

sylvanite

/ ˈsɪlvəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a silver-white mineral consisting of a telluride of gold and silver in the form of elongated striated crystals: a source of gold in Australia and North America. Formula: (Au,Ag)Te 2

Word History and Origins

Origin of sylvanite¹

1790–1800; named after Transylvania; -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sylvanite¹

C18: from ( Tran ) sylvan ( ia ) + -ite ¹, with reference to the region where it was first found

Example Sentences

Experience counts a lot, of course, but I do know something about sylvanite, or white gold.

From Project Gutenberg

A small part of the world's supply is obtained from the gold-silver tellurides—calaverite, sylvanite, krennerite, and petzite.

From Project Gutenberg

This side the exposed reef may have been ground down below the sylvanite.

From Project Gutenberg

But the strikes were rich because sylvanite is one of the richest of all gold ores.

From Project Gutenberg

He figgers this sylvanite lies under this porphyry reef, sabe?

From Project Gutenberg