plagioclase

Definition

Any of a group of aluminum silicate feldspathic minerals ranging in their ratio of calcium to sodium.

Etymology

From plagio- + -clase, after German Plagioklas.

Example Sentences

• "These crystals are of one of the most abundant minerals in nature – feldspar; furthermore, they are of a particular kind of feldspar rich in the element calcium, termed plagioclase."

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