witherite

[with-uh-rahyt]

with·er·ite

[with-uh-rahyt]
noun
a white to grayish mineral, barium carbonate, BaCO3, occurring in crystals and masses: a minor ore of barium.

Origin:
1785–95; named after W. Withering (1741–99), who first described it; see -ite1
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Witherite is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
witherite (ˈwɪðəˌraɪt)
 
n
a white, grey, or yellowish mineral consisting of barium carbonate in orthorhombic crystalline form: occurs in veins of lead ore. Formula: BaCO3
 
[C18: named after W. Withering (1741--99), English scientist, who first described it]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

witherite

a carbonate mineral, barium carbonate (BaCO3), that is, with the exception of barite, the most common barium mineral, despite its rarity. It is ordinarily found in fairly pure form in association with barite and galena in low-temperature hydrothermal veins, as in the north of England and in Scotland. Because of its solubility in common acids, witherite is preferred to barite in the preparation of other barium compounds. It is also used in case-hardening steel and in refining sugar. For detailed physical properties, see carbonate mineral (table)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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