selenite
English edit
Etymology edit
From Ancient Greek σελήνη (selḗnē, “moon”) + -ite; the chemistry sense comes via the name of the element selenium.
Noun edit
selenite (countable and uncountable, plural selenites)
- (mineralogy) A soft, glassy form of gypsum (chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O).
- 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 295:
- I followed them to my study, and found lying on my writing-table still, with the selenite paper-weight upon it, the sheet of work I had left on the afternoon of the opening of the cylinder.
- 1994, Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built, New York: Viking, →ISBN, page 146:
- Glass windows replaced the old tiny windows of selenite (crystallized gypsum), and stovepipe replaced adobe chimneys.
- (inorganic chemistry) The anion SeO32− derived from selenous acid; any salt or ester of selenous acid.
Synonyms edit
- satin spar (1)
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
gypsum
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from selenous acid
Further reading edit
- David Barthelmy (1997–2024), “Selenite”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
- “selenite”, in Mindat.org[1], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2024.
Anagrams edit
Italian edit
Etymology edit
From Latin selēnītēs, from Ancient Greek σεληνῑ́της (selēnī́tēs, “moonstone”), derived from σελήνη (selḗnē, “moon”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
selenite f (plural seleniti)
- (mineralogy, obsolete) moonstone
- Synonym: pietra di luna
- (mineralogy) selenite