albite

noun

al·​bite ˈal-ˌbīt How to pronounce albite (audio)
: a triclinic usually white mineral of the feldspar group consisting of a sodium aluminum silicate
albitic adjective

Examples of albite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The wig she was buried in was made from date palm fibers treated with quartz, magnetite and albite crystals. New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2024 Her natural hair had been dyed with henna and juniper, while the long wig had been treated with quartz, magnetite, and albite crystals to stiffen the braids and blacken the color. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Aug. 2024 Back at the lab, El Albani and his team analyzed the glassy samples, made up of silica, albite, and iron chlorite. science.org, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Swedish albit, from Latin albus "white, light-colored" + Swedish -it -ite entry 1 — more at album

Note: The name was introduced by the Swedish mineralogist Johan Gottlieb Gahn (1745-1818) and Jakob berzelius in "Undersökning af några i grannskapet af Fahlun funna fossilier," Afhandlingar i Fysik, Kemi och Mineralogi, Fjerde delen (1815), p. 180.

First Known Use

circa 1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of albite was circa 1843

Dictionary Entries Near albite

Cite this Entry

“Albite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albite. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

albite

noun
al·​bite ˈal-ˌbīt How to pronounce albite (audio)
: a usually white feldspar containing sodium

More from Merriam-Webster on albite

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!