Definition

Noun: A white or pale green mineral belonging to the amphibole group. It is a calcium magnesium silicate and is used as a form of asbestos.

Usage

"Tremolite" is a technical term used primarily in geology, mineralogy, and industrial contexts. It refers specifically to a distinct mineral species. It is typically used as a countable noun (e.g., a crystal of tremolite, deposits of tremolite).

Examples

• Geologists identified the fibrous veins in the rock as tremolite.
• The sample contained several forms of amphibole, including tremolite and actinolite.
• Due to its hazardous nature, the use of tremolite asbestos is heavily regulated.

Advanced Usage

• As a material type: Tremolite is often discussed in the context of its asbestiform (fibrous) habit, which poses serious health risks when inhaled.
  • The old insulation was found to contain carcinogenic tremolite fibers.

Variants and Related Words

• Actinolite (noun): A green mineral of the amphibole group that forms a solid solution series with tremolite, where iron replaces magnesium.
• Amphibole (noun): The important group of rock-forming silicate minerals to which tremolite belongs.

Synonyms

• Asbestos (when referring to its fibrous, hazardous form): Note that "asbestos" is a commercial and regulatory term for several fibrous minerals, including tremolite. Tremolite is one specific type of asbestos mineral.
  • The analysis confirmed the asbestos was tremolite, not chrysotile.

Notes on Meaning

The definition of "tremolite" is precise and scientific. Its primary meaning is the mineral itself. Its secondary, critical meaning relates to its identity as a regulated and dangerous form of asbestos. The word does not have idiomatic or phrasal verb uses.

Noun

1. a white or pale green mineral (calcium magnesium silicate) of the amphibole group used as a form of asbestos