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Glite Dictionary
germanite

germanite

9.9
A rare reddish-grey mineral that contains copper, iron and germanium with sulfur
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɜrməˌnaɪt/
  • Specialized
: germanita
  • Geologists identified the reddish-grey crystal as germanite based on its composition.

Examples

  • Germanite was first discovered in Namibia in the early 20th century.

  • The mine yielded several specimens of germanite for the collection.

  • The germanite specimen was recently discovered in a mine.

  • Many geologists study germanite due to its unique properties.

  • Germanite is prized by collectors for its striking reddish-grey color and rarity.

  • When studying mineralogy, students often learn about germanite and its copper iron germanium sulfide composition.

  • The sample of germanite found in the mine displayed a fascinating crystal structure.

Surface Forms

germanite singular
germanites plural

Morphology

germanite = German (semi-transparent) = german + ite

Formally analyzable as 'german' + the mineral-forming suffix '-ite', but the sense actually refers to the element germanium (a technical base), so learners may not infer the chemical connection from the surface form.

Etymology

The word germanite comes from the element germanium, which was named for Germany, and the mineral ending -ite is used for 'minerals'. So germanite is a mineral that contains germanium, which explains its name.