barylite
|ba-ry-lite|
/ˈbærɪlaɪt/
heavy stone (barium mineral)
Etymology
'barylite' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'barys', where 'barys' meant 'heavy' and the suffix '-lite' originates from Greek 'lithos' meaning 'stone'.
'barylite' was adopted into scientific usage (via New Latin and modern mineralogical naming) in the 19th century to name a barium-bearing mineral, and subsequently entered English mineralogical vocabulary as 'barylite'.
Initially it literally conveyed the sense 'heavy stone'; over time it became a specific mineral name for certain barium-rich minerals.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a mineral name used for a rare barium-bearing 'heavy stone'; a term applied in geology and mineralogy for certain barium minerals.
Specimens of barylite were collected from the pegmatite vein during the field survey.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/16 11:36