Dictionary

selenite en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɛlɪnaɪt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σελήνη (selḗnē, “moon”) + -ite; the chemistry sense comes via the name of the element selenium.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A soft, glassy form of gypsum (chemical formula CaSO₄·2H₂O).
   • Glass windows replaced the old tiny windows of selenite (crystallized gypsum), and stovepipe replaced adobe chimneys. 1994, Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built, New York: Viking, →ISBN, page 146:
   • I followed them to my study, and found lying on my writing-table still, with the selenite paper-weight upon it, the sheet of work I had left on the afternoon of the opening of the cylinder. 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 295:
2. (countable, uncountable) The anion SeO₃²⁻ derived from selenous acid; any salt or ester of selenous acid.

Forms

Deriveds

silver selenite · selenitical · sodium selenite · cadmium selenite · selenitic · selenitian · selenitiferous

Synonyms

satin spar (A soft, glassy form of gypsum (chemical formula CaSO₄·2H₂O).)

Translations (21)

ga seiléinít (from selenous acid) · es selenita (gypsum) · fr sélénite (gypsum) · la speculāris lapis (gypsum) · fi seleniitti (gypsum) · bg селенит (gypsum) · it selenite (gypsum) · fi seleniitti (from selenous acid) · de Selenit (gypsum) · kk селенит (from selenous acid) · pt selenita (gypsum) · fr sélénite (from selenous acid) · it selenito (from selenous acid) · de Selenit (from selenous acid) · de Marienglas (gypsum) · de Spiegelstein (gypsum) · de Frauenglas (gypsum) · ca selenita (gypsum) · pt selenite (gypsum) · es selenito (from selenous acid) · bg селенит (from selenous acid)