allophane Hear it!

allophane definition

al·lophane (al′ō fān′, al′ə-)

noun

a soft clay mineral, a translucent, hydrous silicate of aluminum, of varying composition and color, typically occurring as incrustations in chalk and sandstone

Etymology: allo- + -phane, as in Gr allophanēs, appearing otherwise: so named because it changes appearance under the blowpipe

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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