pitchblende

[ pich-blend ]

noun

, Mineralogy.

1. a massive variety of uraninite, occurring in black pitchlike masses: a major ore of uranium and radium.

pitchblende

/ ˈpɪtʃˌblɛnd /

noun

1. a blackish mineral that is a type of uraninite and occurs in veins, frequently associated with silver: the principal source of uranium and radium. Formula: UO 2

pitchblende

/ pĭch′blĕnd′ /

1. A brown to black, often crusty, cubic mineral that is a principal ore of uranium. It is highly radioactive. Chemical formula: UO 2 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of pitchblende¹

1760–70; half translation, half adoption of German Pechblende. See pitch ², blende

Word History and Origins

Origin of pitchblende¹

C18: partial translation of German Pechblende, from Pech pitch ² (from its black colour) + blende

Example Sentences

Steen had found a deposit of pitchblende, which today geologists call uraninite, a rich and radioactive ore.

From Popular-Science

Radium was discovered in 1898 by M. and Madame Curie and M. Bmont, while experimenting with the uranium mineral pitchblende.

From Project Gutenberg

Suppose a bearer of the Medal of Honor formed a stock corporation to exploit the pitchblende of Callisto.

From Project Gutenberg

The project at hand is to extract the newly discovered deposits of pitchblende on these satellites of Jupiter.

From Project Gutenberg

Uranium occurs chiefly as pitchblende, which is an impure oxide (U3O8).

From Project Gutenberg

Her thoughts were for the moment on that strange brownish-black rock her father called pitchblende.

From Project Gutenberg