iron pyrite
1
6.0
- noun
- /ˈaɪərn ˈpaɪraɪt/
- Specialized
:
pirita
- During the rock hunting trip, we discovered chunks of iron pyrite that sparkled in the sunlight like precious metal.
Examples
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The jewelry store displayed a necklace made with iron pyrite, impressing customers with its golden shine.
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What you have there is iron pyrite.
Blog text (29) -
You can find iron pyrite in many riverbeds, and its shiny appearance often misleads people into thinking it is gold.
Synonyms
4
4.9
A shiny yellow rock or thing that looks like gold but is worthless
2
7.6
A common pale yellow mineral that looks like gold but is not gold
A mineral made from iron and sulfur that is often called fool's gold
How Shiny
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a compositional noun phrase: the meaning is directly derived from combining 'iron' (the metal) with 'pyrite' (the mineral, iron disulfide). The phrase names the mineral made of iron and sulfur (commonly called fool's gold), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The mineral iron pyrite is shiny and pale yellow, so people long ago often mistook it for gold and called it 'fool's gold'. That's why the name helps you remember it looks like gold but is not real gold.