periclase

[ per-i-kleys, -kleyz ]

noun
  1. a cubic mineral, native magnesia, MgO, occurring usually in metamorphosed dolomite.

Origin of periclase

1
1835–45; <German Periklas<New Latin periclasia, equivalent to peri-peri- + Greek klás(is) a breaking (cf. -clase) + -ia-ia

Words Nearby periclase

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for periclase

periclase

/ (ˈpɛrɪˌkleɪs) /


noun
  1. a mineral consisting of magnesium oxide in the form of isometric crystals or grains: occurs in metamorphosed limestone

Origin of periclase

1
C19: from New Latin periclasia, from Greek peri very + klasis a breaking, referring to its perfect cleavage

Derived forms of periclase

  • periclastic (ˌpɛrɪˈklæstɪk), adjective

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