stephanite

[ stef-uh-nahyt ]

noun

1. a mineral, silver antimony sulfide, Ag 5 SbS 4 : an ore of silver.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stephanite¹

1840–50; named after Stephan, Archduke of Austria (died 1867); -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Other minerals which yield a minor percentage of the total silver produced are the silver-antimony sulphides, pyrargyrite or "ruby silver," stephanite or "black silver," and polybasite; the silver-arsenic sulphides, proustite or "light ruby silver" and pearcite; and the silver antimonide, dyscrasite.

From Project Gutenberg