hedenbergite

[ hed-n-ber-gahyt ]

noun

1. a contact metamorphic mineral of the pyroxene family, calcium ferrous silicate, CaFe(SiO 3 ) 2 , that forms black prismatic crystals in crystalline limestone.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hedenbergite¹

1815–25; named after L. Hedenberg, early 19th-century Swedish chemist; -ite ¹

Example Sentences

The specific gravity and optical constants also vary with the chemical composition; the sp. gr. of diopside is 3.2, increasing to 3.6 in hedenbergite, and the angle of optical extinction in the plane of symmetry varies between 38� and 47� in the two extremes of the series.

From Project Gutenberg