cyanite

[ sahy-uh-nahyt ]

noun

1. Mineralogy. kyanite.

cyanite

/ ˌsaɪəˈnɪtɪk; ˈsaɪəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a variant spelling of kyanite

Derived Forms

• cyanitic, adjective

Other Words From

• cy·a·nit·ic [sahy-, uh, -, nit, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyanite¹

First recorded in 1785–95; cyan- ¹ + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

CYANITE, a native aluminium silicate, Al2SiO5, crystallizing in the anorthic system.

From Project Gutenberg

The name cyanite was given by A. G. Werner in 1789, from κύανος, blue, in allusion to the characteristic colour of the mineral; the form kyanite is also in common use, and the name disth�ne, proposed by R. J. Ha�y in 1801, is used by French writers.

From Project Gutenberg

A remarkable feature of cyanite is the great difference in hardness on different faces of the same crystal and in different directions on the same face: on the face m in a direction parallel to the edge between m and p the hardness is 7, whilst in a direction parallel to the edge between m and t it is 4�.

From Project Gutenberg

Cyanite is a characteristic mineral of the metamorphic crystalline rocks—gneiss, schist, granulite and eclogite—and is often associated with garnet and staurolite.

From Project Gutenberg

The characteristic transverse striae, invariably present on the cleavage surfaces of stibnite and cyanite are due to secondary twinning along glide-planes, and have resulted from the bending of the crystals.

From Project Gutenberg