any of the feldspar minerals varying in composition from acidic albite, NaAlSi3O8, to basic anorthite, CaAl2Si2O8, found in most igneous rocks: shows twinning striations on good cleavage surfaces.
pla·gi·o·clase (plā'jē-ə-klās', -klāz', plāj'ē-) n. Any of a common rock-forming series of triclinic feldspars, consisting of mixtures of sodium and calcium aluminum silicates. Also called oligoclase.
[Greek plagio-, plagio- + Greek klasis, breaking (from its oblique cleavage) (from klān, to break).]