bentonitic

9.5

Containing soft clay that soaks up water and swells

adjective
/ˌbɛntəˈnaɪtɪk/

Specialized

: bentonítico

Due to its absorbent properties, bentonitic clay is often used in cat litter.

Examples

Thin bentonitic beds are also present throughout this formation (Barnes, 1972).

Academic text (1998)
Large-scale, deep-seated earth flowage, however, is basically restricted to areas of crushed argillites and bentonitic mudstones located in East Cape and southern Hawke's Bay-Wairarapa.

Academic text (1991)
The manufacturer used a bentonitic clay in the drilling mud to improve its viscosity.
In construction, bentonitic materials are valued for their ability to seal and stabilize foundations.

Synonyms

claylike

vsbentonitic

1 3.4

Having a soft sticky texture like wet clay

is specific to a particular absorbent clay rather than just surface similarity

clayey

vsbentonitic

1 6.8

Soil that is thick and sticky because it contains a lot of clay

is specific to a particular absorbent clay rather than clay in general

argillaceous

vsbentonitic

Specialized

1 9.9

A rock or soil that contains a lot of clay

is specific to a particular absorbent clay not to rocks or soils

clayish

vsbentonitic

1 4.4

Has the feel of heavy, sticky soil that becomes soft when wet and is used to make pots

is specific to a particular absorbent clay rather than general clay traits

How Clay-Rich

bentonitic

Specialized

9.5

clayey

1 6.8

loamy

2 6.0

sandy

39 1.0

Surface Forms

bentonitic positive

Morphology

bentonitic = bentonite (transparent) = bentonite + ic

Formed from the noun 'bentonite' with the productive adjectival suffix '-ic' meaning 'relating to or characteristic of'.

Etymology

Bentonitic comes from bentonite, a kind of clay named after the town Benton in Montana where it was first found, so imagine a clay from Benton that 'soaks up water' and swells. So, something bentonitic is 'of or like bentonite', a very absorbent clay often used to seal and block water.