chrysolite

Etymology

From Old French crisolite, from Medieval Latin crisolitus, Latin chrȳsolithus, from Ancient Greek χρῡσόλιθος (khrūsólithos), from χρῡσός (khrūsós, “gold”) + λίθος (líthos, “stone”). Surface analysis chryso- (“pertaining to gold”) + -lite (“pertaining to rocks, minerals”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪsəlʌɪt/

Noun

chrysolite (plural chrysolites)

1. (mineralogy) Originally, any of various green-coloured gems; later specifically peridot.
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, (please specify |partition=1, 2, or 3):
     , II.4.1.iii:

     Fran. Rueus […] say as much of the chrysolite, a friend of wisdome, an enemy to folly.

   • 1920, H. P. Lovecraft, The Doom that Came to Sarnath:

     And before he died, Taran-Ish had scrawled upon the altar of chrysolite with coarse shaky strokes the sign of DOOM.

Further reading

• “Chrysolite” in David Barthelmy, Webmineral Mineralogy Database, 1997–.
• chrysolite mindat.org‎, Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, accessed 29 August 2016

Anagrams

• chrysotile

Noun

chrȳsolite

1. vocative singular of chrȳsolitus