sepiolite

se·pi·o·lite

S0272400 (sē′pē-ə-līt′)n. See meerschaum.

[Greek sēpion, cuttlebone (from sēpiā, cuttlefish; see sepia) + -lite.]

sepiolite

(ˈsiːpɪəˌlaɪt) n (Minerals) another name for meerschaum¹[C19: from German Sepiolith, from Greek sēpion bone of a cuttlefish; see sepia, -lite]

meer•schaum

(ˈmɪər ʃəm, -ʃɔm)

n. 1. a mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H₄Mg₂Si₃O₁₀, occurring in white, claylike masses, used esp. for pipe bowls; sepiolite. 2. a tobacco pipe with a bowl made of meerschaum. [1775–85; < German Meerschaum, literally, sea foam]

Thesaurus

Noun

sepiolite - a white clayey mineralmeerschaummeerschaum - a pipe having a bowl made of meerschaummineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition

Sepiolite

sepiolite

[′sē·pē·ə‚līt] (mineralogy) Mg₄(Si₂O₅)₃(OH)₂·6H₂O A soft, lightweight, absorbent, white to light-gray or light-yellow clay mineral, found principally in Asia Minor; used for tobacco pipe bowls and ornamental carvings. Also known as meerschaum; sea-foam.

Sepiolite

a clay mineral of the silicate class having a complex chain-lattice structure. Its chemical composition is Mg₄[Si₆O₁₅](OH)₂·6H₂O. Mg can be replaced by Fe²⁺. Fe³⁺, Ni, Al, and Cu (varieties: ferrisepiolite, aluminosepiolite, and nickelsepiolite). Sepiolite is thought to crystallize in the ortho-rhombic system, forming fibrous submicroscopic crystals. Its properties are analogous to those of palygorskite, and it also occurs as compact or spongy aggregates of very light weight (meerschaum). Sepiolite is formed in soils under conditions of an arid or semiarid climate, in sea and saline basins, and among sedimentary argillaceous carbonate rocks. It is also formed from the weathering of serpentine masses. Varieties of sepiolite rich in nickel are components of silicate nickel ores.

sepiolite

se·pi·o·lite

sepiolite

meer•schaum

Sepiolite

sepiolite

Sepiolite

sepiolite

Synonyms for sepiolite

noun a white clayey mineral

Synonyms

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