Pyroxene

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pyroxene \Pyr"ox*ene\, n. [F. pyrox[`e]ne, from Gr. ? fire + ? a
     stranger; -- so called because it was supposed to the be a
     stranger, or of rare occurrence, in igneous rocks,] (Min.)
     A common mineral occurring in monoclinic crystals, with a
     prismatic angle of nearly 90[deg], and also in massive forms
     which are often laminated. It varies in color from white to


     dark green and black, and includes many varieties differing
     in color and composition, as diopside, malacolite, salite,
     coccolite, augite, etc. They are all silicates of lime and
     magnesia with sometimes alumina and iron. Pyroxene is an
     essential constituent of many rocks, especially basic igneous
     rocks, as basalt, gabbro, etc.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The pyroxene group contains pyroxene proper, also the
           related orthorhombic species, enstatite, bronzite,
           hypersthene, and various monoclinic and triclinic
           species, as rhodonite, etc.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pyroxene
       n : any of a group of crystalline silicate mineral common in
           igneous and metamorphic rocks