monazite

mon·a·zite  (mn-zt)

n.

A reddish-brown phosphate mineral containing rare-earth metals, (Ce, La, Y, Th)PO₄, important as a source of cerium and thorium.

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[Greek monazein, to live alone; see monastery + -ite.]

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monazite  (mn-zt)

A yellow or reddish-brown monoclinic mineral that is a principal ore of several lanthanide (rare-earth) elements. It occurs as tabular crystals in pegmatites, granites, and metamorphic rocks, as well as in sand. Chemical formula: (Ce, La, Nd, Th)PO₄.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

monazite - a reddish-brown mineral containing rare earth metals; an important source of thorium and cerium atomic number 58, Ce, cerium - a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group atomic number 63, Eu, europium - a bivalent and trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group atomic number 60, Nd, neodymium - a yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs in monazite and bastnasite in association with cerium and lanthanum and praseodymium atomic number 59, Pr, praseodymium - a soft yellowish-white trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; can be recovered from bastnasite or monazite by an ion-exchange process atomic number 62, samarium, Sm - a grey lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group; is used in special alloys; occurs in monazite and bastnasite atomic number 65, Tb, terbium - a metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbite atomic number 90, thorium, Th - a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands atomic number 69, thulium, Tm - a soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group; isotope 170 emits X-rays and is used in small portable X-ray machines; it occurs in monazite and apatite and xenotime atomic number 70, Yb, ytterbium - a soft silvery metallic element; a rare earth of the lanthanide series; it occurs in gadolinite and monazite and xenotime mineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition