molybdenite

noun

mo·​lyb·​de·​nite mə-ˈlib-də-ˌnīt How to pronounce molybdenite (audio)
: a metallic gray usually foliated mineral consisting of molybdenum disulfide that is a major ore of molybdenum

Word History

Etymology

New Latin molybdena

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of molybdenite was in 1837

Rhymes for molybdenite

See All Rhymes for molybdenite

Browse Nearby Words

molybdena
molybdenite
molybdenum
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Molybdenite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molybdenite. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on molybdenite

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about molybdenite

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of semiquincentennial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

More Commonly Mispronounced Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 3
See More

Popular

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All