Definition

1. Noun:
   • A class of metallic-looking sulfide minerals: "Pyrites" refers to any of various minerals that are sulfides of metals and have a metallic luster. The most common and well-known member of this group is iron pyrite (FeS₂), often called "fool's gold."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The prospector found veins of pyrites in the rock.
  • Copper pyrites, also known as chalcopyrite, is an important ore of copper.

Advanced Usage

• "Arsenical pyrites": A term for the mineral arsenopyrite, a sulfide of iron and arsenic.
  • The sample contained arsenical pyrites, indicating a potential source of arsenic.

Variants and Related Words

• Pyrite (n): The specific mineral iron disulfide (FeS₂), the most common of the pyrites.
  • Pyrite crystals are often found in cubic forms.
• Chalcopyrite (n): A yellow brass-colored mineral, CuFeS₂, known as copper pyrites.
• Marcasite (n): A mineral with the same chemical formula as pyrite (FeS₂) but a different crystal structure, sometimes historically grouped with pyrites.

Synonyms

• Iron sulfide (specifically for pyrite/fool's gold).
• Sulfide mineral (a broader category that includes pyrites).

Notes on Meaning

• The term "pyrites" is often used in a general, plural sense to describe metallic sulfide ores. The singular form "pyrite" almost exclusively refers to iron pyrite (FeS₂). In historical and mineralogical contexts, names like "copper pyrites" for chalcopyrite are common compound terms.

Noun

1. any of various metallic-looking sulfides (of which pyrite is the commonest)