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Definition of "anhydrite" [an•hy•drite]

  • A colorless, white, gray, blue, or lilac mineral of anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4, occurring as layers in gypsum deposits. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "anhydrite" in a sentence
  • "The name anhydrite was given by A.G. Werner in 1804, because of the absence of water, as contrasted with the presence of water in gypsum."
  • "It is frequently associated with minor quantities of anhydrite, which is calcium sulphate without water, and under the proper natural conditions either of these materials may be changed into the other."
  • "A geochemical process called anhydrite swelling has been confirmed as the cause of these uplifts."