Muscovite

[ muhs-kuh-vahyt ]

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Moscow.
2. a native or inhabitant of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy.
3. Also called white mica. (lowercase) Mineralogy. common light-colored mica, essentially KAl 3 Si 3 O 1 0 (OH) 2 , used as an electrical insulator.
4. Archaic. a Russian.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Moscow, Muscovy, or the Muscovites.

muscovite

¹

/ ˈmʌskəˌvaɪt /

noun

1. a pale brown, or green, or colourless mineral of the mica group, found in plutonic rocks such as granite and in sedimentary rocks. It is used in the manufacture of lubricants, insulators, paints, and Christmas "snow". Composition: potassium aluminium silicate. Formula: KAl 2 (AlSi 3 )O 10 (OH) 2 . Crystal structure: monoclinic See also mica

Muscovite

²

/ ˈmʌskəˌvaɪt /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Moscow

adjective

1. an archaic word for Russian

muscovite

/ mŭs′kə-vīt′ /

1. A usually colorless to yellow or pale-gray mica. Muscovite is a monoclinic mineral and is found in igneous rocks, such as granites and pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, such as schists and gneisses, and in many sedimentary rocks. Chemical formula: KAl 2 (AlSi 3 )O 10 (OH) 2 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of Muscovite¹

First recorded in 1545–55; Muscov(y) + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of Muscovite¹

C19: from the phrase Muscovy glass, an early name for mica

Example Sentences

It crops out from under fallen ginkgo leaves, in black hunks sparkling with muscovite.

From New York Times

Bournonite; apatite on muscovite; natural zircon in a spray of colors; dozens more minerals he cannot name.

From Literature

The film tells the story of four young muscovites’ action packed battle against an eccentric but reckless businessmen who is called Sergey Polyansky.

From Newsweek

“I plead all muscovites and visitors to the capital to come out on the streets on March 1 2015 and take part in a peaceful manifestation against the financial crisis,” Navalny wrote.

From Newsweek

In the weathering of granite the quartz suffers little change; the felspar passes into dull cloudy, soft aggregates of kaolin, muscovite and secondary quartz, while chlorite, quartz and calcite replace the biotite, hornblende and augite.

From Project Gutenberg