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pyroxene

[pahy-rok-seen, puh-, pahy-rok-seen]

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noun

any of a very common group of minerals of many varieties, silicates of magnesium, iron, calcium, and other elements, occurring as important constituents of many kinds of rocks, especially basic igneous rocks.

Compare augite, diopside, hypersthene.

Origin:
1790–1800; < French; see pyro-, xeno-; orig. supposed to be a foreign substance when found in igneous rocks

Related forms

py·rox·en·ic

[pahy-rok-sen-ik] , adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Pyroxene is always a great word to know.

So is callithumpian. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

pyroxene (paɪˈrɒksiːn)

—n
	any of a group of silicate minerals having the general formula ABSi₂O₆, where A is usually calcium, sodium, magnesium, or iron, and B is usually magnesium, iron, chromium, manganese, or aluminium. Pyroxenes occur in basic igneous rocks and some metamorphic rocks, and have colours ranging from white to dark green or black. They may be monoclinic (clinopyroxenes) or orthorhombic (orthopyroxenes) in crystal structure. Examples are augite (the most important pyroxene), diopside, enstatite, hypersthene, and jadeite

[C19: pyro- + -xene from Greek xenos foreign, because it was mistakenly thought to have originated elsewhere when found in igneous rocks]

pyroxenic

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

pyroxene

(pī-rŏk'sēn') Pronunciation Key
Any of a series of dark silicate minerals having the general chemical formula ABSi₂O₆, where A is either calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), or iron (Fe), and B is either magnesium, iron, chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), or aluminum (Al). Pyroxenes vary in color from white to dark green or black and are characterized by a rectangular-shaped cross section. They can be either monoclinic or orthorhombic and occur in igneous and metamorphic rocks. The minerals enstatite, diopside, and augite are pyroxenes.

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pyroxene

py·rox·ene