variscite

[ var-uh-sahyt ]

/ ˈvær əˌsaɪt /

noun

a secondary mineral, hydrated phosphate of aluminum, Al(PO4)⋅2H2O, occurring mainly as massive, bluish-green nodules: sometimes used as a gem.

Nearby words

Origin of variscite

< German Variscit, named after Variscia Latinized German district name; see -ite¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for variscite

Variscite, var′i-sīt, n. a mineral very like a greenish turquoise found in Brittany.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Variscite is also a phosphate (a hydrated aluminum phosphate).
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public|Frank Bertram Wade

British Dictionary definitions for variscite

variscite

/ (ˈværɪˌsaɪt) /

noun

a green secondary mineral consisting of hydrated aluminium phosphate

Word Origin for variscite

from Medieval Latin Variscia, the district of Vogtland in Saxony

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