cordierite
a strongly dichroic blue mineral consisting of a silicate of magnesium, aluminum, and iron: common in metamorphic rocks.
Origin of cordierite
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for cordierite
/ (ˈkɔːdɪəˌraɪt) /
a grey or violet-blue dichroic mineral that consists of magnesium aluminium iron silicate in orthorhombic crystalline form and is found in metamorphic rocks. Formula: (Mg,Fe) 2 AL 4 Si 5 O 18 .nH 2 O: Also called: dichroite, iolite
Origin of cordierite
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for cordierite
[ kôr′dē-ə-rīt′ ]
A light-blue to dark-blue or gray orthorhombic mineral. Cordierite is a silicate of magnesium, aluminum, and sometimes iron, and is found in granites and in metamorphic rocks that form under relatively low-pressure conditions. Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe)2Al4Si5O18.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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