calcite

IPA/ˈkælsaɪt/
KK[kˈælsˌaɪt]IPA/ˈkælsaɪt/

calcite — noun

1. a mineral made of calcium carbonate, often clear or pale white, that appears in

1.nounC2
Definition

a mineral made of calcium carbonate, often clear or pale white, that appears in rocks like chalk, marble, and limestone

Example

Kenji held the calcite crystal to the lamp and saw light pass through it.

calcite crystal that lets light pass through

The guide showed us thin lines of calcite on the cave wall.

calcite found on cave walls

Common collocations
  • calcite crystal
  • calcite layer
  • calcite deposit
  • piece of calcite
Synonyms
  • mineral

    broader term for any natural solid substance in rock

  • crystal

    broader term that names the solid form, not this specific mineral

  • aragonite

    same chemical substance but a different crystal form

Grammar Patterns

piece of calcite

calcite crystal

made of calcite

Usage Note

Calcite is usually uncountable when you mean the mineral in general. Writers make it countable only when they mention one crystal, piece, or layer of it.

Common Mistakes

The cave walls are covered with calcites.
The cave walls are covered with calcite.
Use the uncountable form for the mineral in general; add 'crystals' only when counting separate pieces.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Calcite is the name of one specific mineral, so it is narrower than words like limestone or marble. Limestone and marble are rocks that often contain a lot of calcite, but they are not the same thing as a single calcite crystal. Quartz is another common mineral, yet it is harder and has a different chemical makeup. Aragonite has the same chemical substance as calcite, but its crystals are arranged in a different way. If a science text talks about cave crystals, clear mineral pieces, or calcium carbonate in rock, calcite is usually the right word. If it talks about a building stone, limestone or marble is more likely.

quartz ↗limestone ↗aragonitemarble ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • calcite crystal
  • calcite layer
  • calcite deposit

Phrases

  • piece of calcite
  • contains calcite

Prepositions

  • made of calcite

Etymology

LatinGermanEnglish

Calcite came into English as a geology term from German Calcit. That German word was built from Latin calx, meaning 'lime', which fits a mineral made from calcium carbonate.

First known use

1840

1840, in the meaning defined above