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Glite Dictionary
molybdenite

molybdenite

9.9
A soft dark mineral like graphite that people mine to get molybdenum
  • noun
  • /məˈlɪb.də.naɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : molybdénita
  • Geologists commonly study molybdenite to better understand the formation of molybdenum deposits.

Examples

  • Its distinctive lead-gray color makes molybdenite easily recognizable among other minerals.

  • The molybdenite found in the mine is vital for producing high-performance steel.

  • Molybdenite Corporation of Canada, six, up one half.

    Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Synonyms

moly
vsmolybdenite
  • Jargon
1 9.4

A metal added to grease to make moving parts work more smoothly

names the specific soft lead gray mineral that is the ore of the metal

Surface Forms

molybdenite singular
molybdenites plural

Morphology

molybdenite = molybdenum (transparent) = molybden + ite

Formed by adding the mineral-forming suffix '-ite' to the element name 'molybdenum', so knowing the base yields the meaning 'mineral of molybdenum'.

Etymology

Molybdenite comes from the element name molybdenum, which itself comes from the old Greek word molybdos meaning 'lead', because the mineral looks dark and lead-like. The ending -ite shows it is a mineral, as in graphite, so molybdenite is the mineral that contains molybdenum and was named for its lead-like look.