tridymite

[trid-uh-mahyt]

trid·y·mite

[trid-uh-mahyt]
noun Mineralogy.
a polymorph of quartz occurring in the form of small crystals, commonly twinned, in siliceous volcanic rocks.

Origin:
1865–70; < German Tridymit, equivalent to tridym- (Greek trídym(os) triple, equivalent to tri- tri- + ()dymos didymous) + -it -ite1
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Tridymite is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

tridymite

silica mineral, the stable form of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) at temperatures between 870 and 1,470 C (1,598 and 2,678 F); at lower temperatures it transforms to high-quartz, at higher to cristobalite. It has three modifications: high-tridymite, middle-tridymite, and low-tridymite. Tridymite forms thin hexagonal plates that are generally twinned, often in groups of three; its name alludes to this habit. It commonly occurs in igneous rocks, more abundantly than cristobalite, as in the trachytes of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; northern Italy; and in the Massif Central, France. Tridymite, also found in meteorites, has the same chemical composition as coesite, cristobalite, stishovite, lechatelierite, and quartz but has a different crystal structure. For detailed physical properties, see silica mineral (Table 2)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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