Pyrite Definition

pīrīt
pyrites
noun
pyrites
A hard, brittle, yellow mineral, FeS2, dimorphic with marcasite and occurring abundantly as a native ore, used to make sulfuric acid; iron sulfide.
Webster's New World
(usually as a plural: pyrites) Any metallic-looking sulphide, such as the above, which is the most common.
Wiktionary
(solid state chemistry) (usually as a plural: pyrites) Any metal dichalcogenide that is isostructural to the common mineral.
Copper diselenide can occur both as a marcasite and a pyrite.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
  • fool's gold
  • iron pyrite

Other Word Forms of Pyrite

Noun

Singular:
pyrite
Plural:
pyrites

Origin of Pyrite

  • recorded since 1555, from Old French (=modern) pyrite (12c.), from Latin pyrites, from Ancient Greek πυρίτης λιθός (pyrites lithos) "stone of fire, flint" (so called because it glitters), notably the first part: adjective πυρίτης (puritēs, “of or in fire”), from πῦρ (pur, “fire”)

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English perides, pirite from Old French pirite from Latin pyrītēs flint pyrites

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to pyrite using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

pyrite