baddeleyite
|bad-de-ley-ite|
/ˌbædəlˈaɪt/
zirconium oxide mineral (ZrO2)
Etymology
'baddeleyite' originates from the English surname 'Baddeley' combined with the mineral‑forming suffix '-ite' (from Greek '-ites', meaning 'connected with' or 'belonging to').
'baddeleyite' was coined in modern mineralogical English (20th century) by attaching the suffix '-ite' to the name 'Baddeley' and has been used unchanged as the mineral name 'baddeleyite'.
Initially named as the mineral associated with the name 'Baddeley', its meaning has remained the specific mineral species ZrO2 (zirconium oxide).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rare zirconium oxide mineral (ZrO2), typically monoclinic, found in silica‑undersaturated igneous rocks and used in geochronology (U–Pb dating) because it can contain uranium and exclude lead.
Baddeleyite is commonly used for U–Pb dating of mafic and ultramafic rocks because it can retain uranium without much initial lead.
Last updated: 2025/12/29 21:16