periclase

per·i·clase

[per-i-kleys, -kleyz]
noun
a cubic mineral, native magnesia, MgO, occurring usually in metamorphosed dolomite.

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

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
periclase (ˈpɛrɪˌkleɪs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a mineral consisting of magnesium oxide in the form of isometric crystals or grains: occurs in metamorphosed limestone
 
[C19: from New Latin periclasia, from Greek peri very + klasis a breaking, referring to its perfect cleavage]
 
periclastic
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Periclase is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

periclase

magnesium oxide mineral (MgO) that occurs as colourless to grayish, glassy, rounded grains in marble and in some dolomitic limestones, where it formed by the metamorphosis of dolomite at high temperatures. Rocks containing periclase have been identified at Monte Somma and Predazzo, Italy; Nordmark and Langban, Swed.; and Crestmore, Calif. Periclase may be a major component of the mantle of the Earth. For detailed physical properties, see oxide mineral (table)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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