barite

/'bɑ:rait/

Thân thiện

A geologist holds a sample of barite in a rocky outcrop.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A white or colorless mineral: Barite is a naturally occurring mineral composed of barium sulfate (BaSO₄). It is the primary industrial source of the element barium.

Usage

• As a subject: "Barite is often found in sedimentary rocks."
• As an object: "The geologist identified the sample as barite."
• With modifiers: "Heavy barite is used as a weighting agent in drilling muds."

Examples

• General Use:
  • Barite is a dense mineral with a high specific gravity.
  • The veins in this mine are rich in barite.
• Industrial Context:
  • The oil industry uses finely ground barite in drilling fluids.
  • Barite is also a key ingredient in some types of cement.

Advanced Usage

• "Barite rose": A colloquial term for a rosette-shaped crystal aggregate of barite, often found in certain localities.
  • The museum's collection includes a beautiful barite rose from Oklahoma.

Variants and Related Words

• Barytes (n): An older or alternative name for barite, commonly used in British English.
  • The deposit was historically mined for barytes.
• Barium sulfate (n): The chemical compound (BaSO₄) that constitutes the mineral barite.
  • Barium sulfate, in the form of barite, is chemically inert.

Synonyms

• Heavy spar: A traditional synonym for barite, referring to its high density.
• Tiff: A regional or obsolete name for certain forms of barite.

Notes on Meaning

• The term barite refers specifically to the mineral form. While it is the main source of barium, the pure element barium is chemically extracted from it and is a different substance.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a white or colorless mineral (BaSO4); the main source of barium

Từ đồng nghĩa

• heavy spar
• barytes
• barium sulphate