sylvanite

noun

syl·​van·​ite
variants or less commonly silvanite
ˈsilvəˌnīt
plural -s
: a mineral (Au,Ag)Te2 consisting of a gold silver telluride, having a steel gray, silver white, or brass yellow color, and often occurring in implanted crystals resembling written characters (hardness 1.5–2 specific gravity 7.9–8.3)

called also graphic tellurium

sylvanitic
¦⸗⸗¦nitik
adjective

Word History

Etymology

French sylvanite, from sylvane sylvanite (from Transylvania, its locality) + -ite

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Cite this Entry

“Sylvanite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sylvanite. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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