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benitoite

American  
[buh-nee-toh-ahyt] / bəˈni toʊˌaɪt /

noun

  1. a rare mineral, barium titanium silicate, BaTiSi 3 O 9 , occurring in blue hexagonal crystals exhibiting dichroism.

Etymology

Origin of benitoite

1905–10; named after San Benito County, California; see -ite 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Farther north, in San Benito County in central California, is the world’s only known source of benitoite, a bright blue gem coveted by collectors.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.