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Glite Dictionary
pollucite

pollucite

9.9
A rare mineral used to get the metal cesium
  • noun
  • /ˈpɒl.juˌsaɪt/
  • Specialized
: pollucita
  • Pollucite is the principal ore used in the extraction of cesium for industrial applications.

Examples

  • Scientists study pollucite to understand the geochemistry of cesium-bearing minerals.

  • Large deposits of pollucite are found in Canada and Zimbabwe.

  • The geologist discovered a rare pollucite deposit in the mountains.

  • Many researchers are studying pollucite for its cesium content.

  • Pollucite is a rare mineral that is essential in producing cesium for technological applications.

  • The geologist identified a large vein of pollucite during the exploration of the mineral site.

  • In mineralogy classes, students often learn about pollucite as a significant source of cesium.

Surface Forms

pollucite singular
pollucites plural

Morphology

pollucite = polluc + ite

The element 'polluc' is not a recognizable English base for learners and '-ite' is a mineral-forming suffix, so the meaning 'a rare mineral' cannot be derived from familiar English components.

Etymology

Pollucite is a mineral name and its ending -ite is a common ending for rocks and minerals that means 'stone' or 'rock', just like in graphite. So pollucite refers to a particular mineral — the main ore of cesium — and the -ite ending helps you remember it is a kind of rock.