diopside

[ dahy-op-sahyd, -sid ]

noun

, Mineralogy.

1. a monoclinic pyroxene mineral, calcium magnesium silicate, CaMg(SiO 3 ) 2 , occurring in various colors, usually in crystals.

diopside

/ -sɪd; daɪˈɒpsaɪd /

noun

1. a colourless or pale-green pyroxene mineral consisting of calcium magnesium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form: used as a gemstone. Formula: CaMgSi 2 O 6

diopside

/ dī-ŏp′sīd′ /

1. A light green, monoclinic variety of pyroxene, used as a gemstone and as a refractory material. Chemical formula: CaMgSi 2 O 6 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of diopside¹

1800–10; di- ³ + Greek óps(is) appearance + -ide ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of diopside¹

C19: from di- ² + Greek opsis sight, appearance + -ide

Example Sentences

Some keepsakes were harder to reproduce than others, though, including the uniquely shaped uncut mineral-green diopside pendant encased in a heavy gold setting that her father gave to her mother as an engagement present in 1969.

From New York Times

Greek jewelry designer Ileana Makri's graceful multi-shaped branch ear cuff is made of 18-karat gold set with round yellow sapphire, square rhodolite and oval chrome diopside with pear-shaped orange sapphire.

From Los Angeles Times

The purer beds recrystallize as marbles, but where there has been originally an admixture of sand or clay lime-bearing silicates are formed, such as diopside, epidote, garnet, sphene, vesuvianite, scapolite; with these phlogopite, various felspars, pyrites, quartz and actinolite often occur.

From Project Gutenberg

Diopside, dī-op′sid, n. a grayish and readily cleavable variety of pyroxene.

From Project Gutenberg

The augite is mostly a variety of diopside and is only occasionally idiomorphic.

From Project Gutenberg