Definition

Noun: A white, colorless, or sometimes reddish mineral belonging to the zeolite group. It is a hydrated silicate of sodium and aluminum, typically forming needle-like or fibrous crystals.

Usage

Natrolite is used as a specific mineralogical term. * Natrolite is often found in cavities in basaltic rocks. * The geologist identified the fibrous crystals as natrolite. * Natrolite, along with other zeolites, has applications in water purification.

Advanced Usage

• In mineralogy and geology: The term is used to classify and describe a specific mineral species within the zeolite family, often noted for its characteristic acicular (needle-like) crystal habit.
  • The paragenesis of the volcanic amygdules included quartz, calcite, and natrolite.

Variants and Related Words

• Zeolite (n): The broader family of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals to which natrolite belongs.
• Sodium aluminosilicate (n): A chemical description of natrolite's composition.

Synonyms

• Mesotype (n): An older, now largely obsolete synonym for natrolite.

Different Meanings

This word has a single, specific meaning in mineralogy. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses.

Noun

1. a group of minerals of the zeolite family consisting of a hydrous silicate of sodium and aluminum