calcite

[ kal-sahyt ]

noun

1. one of the commonest minerals, calcium carbonate, CaCO 3 , found in a great variety of crystalline forms: a major constituent of limestone, marble, and chalk; calc-spar.

calcite

/ ˈkælsaɪt; kælˈsɪtɪk /

noun

1. a colourless or white mineral (occasionally tinged with impurities), found in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, in veins, in limestone, and in stalagmites and stalactites. It is used in the manufacture of cement, plaster, paint, glass, and fertilizer. Composition: calcium carbonate. Formula: CaCO 3 . Crystal structure: hexagonal (rhombohedral)

calcite

/ kăl′sīt′ /

1. A usually white, clear, pale-yellow or blue orthorhombic mineral. Calcite occurs in many different forms and is the main component of chalk, limestone, and marble. It is a polymorph of aragonite. Chemical formula: CaCO 3 .

Derived Forms

• calcitic, adjective

Other Words From

• cal·cit·ic [kal-, sit, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of calcite¹

First recorded in 1840–50; calc- + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

They found that the elements could enter the eggshells via diffusion along the calcite boundaries and the organic matrix, and, at higher temperatures, that the rare earth built new minerals on the eggshell surface.

From Science Daily

The resin holds the ions needed to form calcite when water is introduced.

From Science Daily

“I was in the studio one day, working on this piece of honeycomb calcite, and I just went numb,” she recalls.

From Seattle Times

Trilobites are named for their three-lobed body, which is covered by a durable exoskeleton enriched in calcite that is easily preserved; making trilobites an iconic part of the Paleozoic fossil record.

From Science Daily

Deciphering the chemical composition of each individual page—each thin, calcite layer—gives scientists a diary of the seawater through which the animal journeyed as it built its shell.

From National Geographic