marcasite

Etymology

From late Latin marchasita et al., from Arabic مَرْقَشِيطَا‎ (marqašīṭā), مَرْقَشِيتَا‎ (marqašītā), from Classical Syriac or Aramaic.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑːkəsʌɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑɹ.kə.sɑɪ̯t/, /ˌmɑɹ.kəˈzit/
• Hyphenation: mar‧ca‧site

Noun

marcasite (countable and uncountable, plural marcasites)

1. (mineralogy) A type of metallic sulphide, now specifically the orthorhombic form of iron disulphide, FeS₂, occurring as yellow crystals and often used in jewellery. [from 15th c.]
   • 1999, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, translating Paracelsus, Opus Paramirum, in Essential Readings, North Atlantic Books 1999, p. 95:

     If he wants to speak as a physician, however, he must say, this marcasite is the man's disease, hence it will cure him.

Further reading

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