We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.ContinueFind out more
1mass nounA brown mineral consisting of ferrous carbonate, occurring as the main component of some kinds of ironstone or as rhombohedral crystals in mineral veins.
‘The fine-grained sediment of the matrix is composed chiefly of siderite, with lesser amounts of illite, calcite, quartz, and bitumen.’
‘Overgrowths of fine-grained, bronze-colored siderite are often present on selected faces of the fluorite crystals.’
‘Of particular interest are superb specimens of lustrous, pale lavender fluorite crystals, many of which are associated with sphalerite and siderite from what remained of the flats surrounding the Diana vein.’
‘The color of the siderite is grayish-white when cleaned, but in most instances it is a dull to iridescent reddish-brown because of alteration to iron oxides on the crystal surfaces.’
‘It was the largest orebody found in the Rocky Point zone of the Sawatch Quartzite; ores were of the zinc manto type with marmatite, argentiferous galena, pyrite, and siderite.’
2A meteorite consisting mainly of nickel and iron.
‘On a hillside, three miles above the mouth of the Tualitin, fell, apparently centuries ago, the Willamette siderite, the third largest iron meteorite in the world.’
‘The date of formation is estimated to be about 5,000 years ago (Holocene), as a result of the impact of large elements of a siderite (iron meteorite), probably coming from the Perseids, which impact Earth during early August of each year.’
Origin
Late 16th century (denoting lodestone): from Greek sidēros ‘iron’ + -ite.