thorite

American

[thawr-ahyt, thohr-] / ˈθɔr aɪt, ˈθoʊr- /

noun

a rare mineral, thorium silicate, ThSiO 4 , occurring in the form of yellow or black crystals.

thorite British

/ ˈθɔːraɪt /

noun

a yellow, brownish, or black radioactive mineral consisting of tetragonal thorium silicate. It occurs in coarse granite and is a source of thorium. Formula: ThSiO 4

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of thorite

1825–35; thor- (as in thoria, thorium ) + -ite ¹, modeled on Swedish thorit

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.

"Dynamite or rhexite or meganite or carbonite or stonite or vigorite or cordite or ballistite or thorite or maxamite——" "Stop, Hawkins, stop!"

From Mr. Hawkins' Humorous Adventures by Franklin, Edgar, [pseud.]

Determinations of the atomic weight of lead from thorite, a thorium mineral nearly free from uranium, gave 208.4.

From A Brief Account of Radio-activity by Venable, Francis Preston

Examples of substances which crystallize in this class are cassiterite, rutile, anatase, zircon, thorite, vesuvianite, apophyllite, phosgenite, also boron, tin, mercuric iodide.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

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