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Glite Dictionary
⛏️ An iron mineral ☄️ An iron meteorite
siderite

siderite

9.9
A space rock that reached Earth and is mostly iron and nickel
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪdəˌraɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : siderita
  • A siderite is distinguished from stony meteorites by its high metal content.

Examples

  • The museum displayed a massive siderite that had been recovered from a desert.

  • Scientists analyzed the siderite for traces of rare elements found in meteorites.

  • The siderite was fascinating.

  • Wow, look at that siderite!

  • The geologist identified the siderite as an important source of nickel and iron for industrial use.

  • During the expedition, the team collected a rare siderite from the meteor shower.

  • Researchers examined the siderite specimen to understand its formation in space.

Surface Forms

siderite singular
siderites plural

Morphology

siderite = iron (semi-transparent) = sider + ite

As with the mineral sense, '-ite' indicates a type of material/object, but 'sider' (iron) is not an immediately recognizable stem to many learners.

Etymology

Siderite comes from the Greek root sider- meaning 'iron'. That's why the word can also mean a meteorite made mostly of 'iron' (and nickel), because these space rocks are rich in metal.