Meanings
plural apatites
- countableuncountablechemistryA calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition, sometimes used in the manufacture of fertilizer, as a gemstone, and (in powdered form) as a pigment, and also produced biologically in bones and teeth.
We had prepared, by precipitation methods, finely divided crystalline apatites that were similar in crystal size and x-ray diffraction profile to bone apatite.
1967, Duncan McConnell et al., “Infrared Absorption of Carbonate Apatite”, in Science, volume 155, number 3762 (New Series), Washington, D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 608
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- German-it
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓πᾰ́τη“deceit, fraud”
- GermanApatit“apatite”
- Englishapatite
From international scientific vocabulary, from German Apatit (“apatite”). Apatit was coined by the German geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817), as follows: Ancient Greek ᾰ̓πᾰ́τη (ăpắtē, “deceit, fraud”) (as it is often mistaken for other minerals) + German -it (suffix forming nouns denoting minerals or rocks; cognate with English -ite); the German word was first used in a 1786 book. Regarding minerals that were named for being deceptive and thus confused with others, compare also fool's gold.
More words from German, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans apatiet
- apatietcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Arabic أباتيت
- أباتيتcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Basque apatito
- apatitocalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Bulgarian апатит
- апатит (apatit)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Catalan apatita
- apatitacalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Chinese Mandarin 磷灰石
- 磷灰石 (línhuīshí)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Czech apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Danish apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Dutch apatiet
- apatietcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Esperanto apatito
- apatitocalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Estonian apatiit
- apatiitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Finnish apatiitti
- apatiitticalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
French apatite
- apatitecalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
German Apatit
- Apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Greek απατίτης
- απατίτης (apatítis)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Hebrew אפטיט
- אפטיט (ʔapaṭīṭ)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Hungarian apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Indonesian apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Irish apaitít
- apaitítcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Italian apatite
- apatitecalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Japanese 燐灰石
- 燐灰石 (rinkaiseki)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Korean 인회석
- 인회석 (inhoeseok)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Latvian apatīts
- apatītscalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Lithuanian apatitas
- apatitascalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Norwegian Bokmål apatitt
- apatittcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Persian آپاتیت
- آپاتیتcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Polish apatyt
- apatytcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Portuguese apatita
- apatitacalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Romanian apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Russian апати́т
- апати́т (apatít)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Slovak apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Spanish apatita
- apatitacalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Swedish apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Thai อะพาไทต์
- อะพาไทต์calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Turkish apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Ukrainian апатит
- апатит (apatyt)calcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Vietnamese apatit
- apatitcalcium fluoride phosphate of variable composition
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
apatite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apatite
“apatite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apatite. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apatite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apatite.
Source: apatite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.