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Glite Dictionary
chlorite

chlorite

1 9.2
A green or black mineral with flat thin crystals found in many rocks
  • noun
  • /ˈklɔːrɪt/
  • Specialized
: clorita
  • The old sculpture was carved from chlorite, giving it a unique greenish color and smooth texture.
  • sodium chlorite
  • chlorine and chlorite
  • chlorine dioxide and chlorite

Examples

  • The geologist examined a sample of chlorite found in the sedimentary rock layers.

  • During the field trip, we discovered beautiful flat crystals of chlorite embedded in the granite.

  • The vessel, which appears to date to the late fourth millennium B.C., was made of chlorite, a dark soft stone favored by ancient artisans in southeast Iran.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Proper monitoring of chlorine dioxide and chlorite (a disinfection byproduct) can be challenging.

    Academic text (2002)

Surface Forms

chlorite singular
chlorites plural

Morphology

chlorite = chlorine (semi-transparent) = chlor + ite

The combining form 'chlor-' means 'green' and '-ite' is a mineral-forming suffix, but 'chlor-' is not a standalone English word and '-ite' is specialized vocabulary, so the relation is only partly transparent to average learners.

Etymology

Chlorite comes from the Greek root chlor- meaning 'green' and the mineral ending -ite, the same chlor- you see in chlorophyll, which makes plants green. So chlorite is simply a 'green' mineral, which is why it often appears as flat green or dark crystals in rocks.