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gummite

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gum⋅mite

  [guhm-ahyt]
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–noun Mineralogy.
a yellow to red alteration product of pitchblende and a minor ore of uranium, having a greasy luster and occurring in gumlike masses.
Origin:
1865–70; orig. G Gummit. See gum 1 , -ite 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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gum·mite   (gŭm'īt)   
n.  An orange-red to grayish yellow mixture of several uranium oxides, silicates, and salts occurring naturally in the oxidation and hydration of uraninite.

[German Gummit, from Gummi, gum, from Middle High German, from Medieval Latin, from Latin; see gum1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

gummite

mixture of natural uranium oxides, representing the final oxidation and hydration stages of uraninite, that usually occurs as dense masses and crusts in many of the known uraninite localities. It varies widely in physical properties, appearance, and chemical composition; it usually contains oxides of lead and thorium and large amounts of water. Gummite, named in reference to the gumlike appearance of some varieties, is related to well-defined uranium oxides as limonite and wad are to iron and manganese oxides.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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