bentonite Hear it!

bentonite definition

☆ ben·ton·ite (ben′tən īt′)

noun

a porous clay consisting mainly of the mineral montmorillonite, which swells greatly when it absorbs water

Etymology: after Fort Benton (named for Senator Benton: see Thomas Hart Benton) in Montana, where it is found

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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