Definition of "witherite" [with•er•ite]

• A white, yellow, or gray mineral, chiefly BaCO3. (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.

• "Barium is somewhat more abundant than strontium, occurring in nature largely as barytes, or heavy spar (BaSO_ {4}), and witherite (BaCO_ {3})."
• "Barium occurs chiefly in the form of barytes or heavy spar, BaSO_4, and witherite, BaCO_3, and to a less extent in baryto-calcite, baryto-celestine, and various complex silicates."
• "Barium chloride, BaCl_2 · 2H_2O, can be obtained by dissolving witherite in dilute hydrochloric acid, and also from heavy spar by ignition in a reverberatory furnace with a mixture of coal, limestone and calcium chloride, the barium chloride being extracted from the fused mass by water, leaving a residue of insoluble calcium sulphide."