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Glite Dictionary
🎭 False appearance 🪨 Mineral shape change
pseudomorphosis

pseudomorphosis

9.9
A process where one mineral replaces another but keeps the original shape
  • noun
  • /ˌsuːdoʊˈmɔːrfəsɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pseudomorfosis
  • Museum specimens often display pseudomorphosis where one mineral has replaced another over time.

Examples

  • The geologist explained how pseudomorphosis allowed the mineral to keep its original crystal shape.

  • The pseudomorphosis of quartz into calcite is fascinating.

  • Through pseudomorphosis, the rock's appearance remained unchanged despite its new chemical makeup.

  • Many minerals undergo pseudomorphosis during their formation.

  • The geologist explained how pseudomorphosis allows a mineral to maintain its original crystal shape while changing chemically.

  • The rock showcases pseudomorphosis, preserving its external form even after its chemical composition altered significantly.

  • In nature, pseudomorphosis is evident when one mineral gradually replaces another while keeping the original structure intact.

Surface Forms

pseudomorphosis singular
pseudomorphoses plural

Morphology

pseudomorphosis = pseudomorph (opaque) = pseudo + morph + osis

The word is structurally regular from 'pseudomorph' plus '-osis', but the mineralogical process is a specialized technical meaning.

Etymology

Pseudomorphosis comes from Greek parts pseudo- meaning 'false' and -morphosis meaning 'form' or 'shape'. In rocks it describes when one mineral keeps the outside shape of another but has a new inside, so it is literally a 'false form' that looks the same but is different inside.