a light soft colourless or white mineral consisting of a hydrated sodium borate in monoclinic crystalline form: an important source of borax and other boron compounds. Formula: Na2B4O7.4H2O
Word origin
C20: from Kern County, California, where it was found + -ite1
kernite in American English
(ˈkɜrˌnaɪt)
US
noun
a colorless, soft, monoclinic mineral, hydrous sodium borate, Na2B4O7·4H2O, that is an important ore of boron
Word origin
after Kern County, California, where mined + -ite1