ze·o·lite

[zee-uh-lahyt]
noun Mineralogy.
any of a group of hydrated silicates of aluminum with alkali metals, commonly occurring as secondary minerals in cavities in basic volcanic rocks: used for their molecular sieve properties because they undergo dehydration with little or no change in crystal structure.

Origin:
1770–80; < Greek ze(în) to boil + -o- + -lite

ze·o·lit·ic [zee-uh-lit-ik] , adjective
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Collins
World English Dictionary
zeolite (ˈziːəˌlaɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  any of a large group of glassy secondary minerals consisting of hydrated aluminium silicates of calcium, sodium, or potassium: formed in cavities in lava flows and plutonic rocks
2.  See molecular sieve any of a class of similar synthetic materials used in ion exchange and as selective absorbents
 
[c18: zeo-, from Greek zein to boil + -lite; from the swelling up that occurs under the blowpipe]
 
zeolitic
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Zeolite is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
zeolite   (zē'ə-līt')  Pronunciation Key 
Any of a family of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals, whose molecules enclose cations of sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, or barium. Zeolites are usually white or colorless, but they can also be red or yellow. They are characterized by their easy and reversible loss of water of hydration. They usually occur within cavities in basalt.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
The new catalyst uses zeolite as a base material, which is coated with precious metals.
The sponge sucks in water molecules, which are small and can fit in the zeolite's cavities.
He relates how geologists spotted zeolite into scenery and called the movie directory to find where it was shot.
Something about zeolite deposits being visible in some scenes.
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