pyrite

noun

py·​rite ˈpī-ˌrīt 

: a common mineral that consists of iron disulfide, has a pale brass-yellow color and metallic luster, and is burned in making sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid

Examples of pyrite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Weekly Newsletter Sicilian sulfur’s centrality to Britain’s textile industry was soon displaced by pyrites from Ireland, sulfur from Spain and Louisiana, and an early form of recycling, though sulfur would continue to be mined in Sicily. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 June 2026

Flecks of mica and pyrite and who knows what, but only fools and greenhorns mistake it for gold. —John Archibald, Southern Living, 11 June 2026

Since quartz, calcite and pyrite differ in transparency, symmetry and surface sheen, this sorting ability surprised the researchers. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026

Even the famous ink sac turned out to be a three-dimensional lump enriched with clays and pyrite. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin pyrites

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pyrite

• arsenopyrite

Kids Definition

pyrite

noun

py·​rite ˈpī-ˌrīt 

: a common mineral that consists of iron combined with sulfur, has a pale brass-yellow color and metallic luster, and is used especially in making sulfuric acid