marcasite
English
Etymology
From Medieval Latin marchasita et al., from Arabic مَرْقَشِيتَا (marqašītā).
Pronunciation
Noun
marcasite (countable and uncountable, plural marcasites)
- (mineralogy) The orthorhombic form of iron disulfide, FeS2, occurring as yellow crystals. [from 19th c.]
- Synonym: white iron pyrite
- (jewelry) Pyrite.
- (historical) Any of various metal sulfides, usually iron sulfide minerals. [from 15th c.]
- 1999, Paracelsus, “Opus Paramirum”, in Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, transl., Essential Readings, North Atlantic Books, page 95:
- If he wants to speak as a physician, however, he must say, this marcasite is the man's disease, hence it will cure him.
Usage notes
- Marcasite is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, although the two have the same chemical composition.
Derived terms
Translations
mineral
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See also
Further reading
- David Barthelmy (1997–2025) “Marcasite”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
- “marcasite”, in Mindat.org[1], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2025.
French
Noun
marcasite f (plural marcasites)
- alternative form of marcassite
Italian
Noun
marcasite f (plural marcasiti)