orthoclase

O1R1T1H4O1C3L1A1S1E1

noun

Potassium aluminum silicate, KAlSi₃O₈, a common feldspar of igneous, plutonic, and metamorphic rocks. Orthoclase is the main feldspar of pegmatite occurrences, where it is most commonly flesh-colored. Orthoclase is used in the ceramic and glass industries and as a decorative gravel.

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Meanings

nounorthoclase (countable and uncountable, plural orthoclases)

plural orthoclases

  1. countableuncountablechemistryPotassium aluminum silicate, KAlSi₃O₈, a common feldspar of igneous, plutonic, and metamorphic rocks. Orthoclase is the main feldspar of pegmatite occurrences, where it is most commonly flesh-colored. Orthoclase is used in the ceramic and glass industries and as a decorative gravel.

Origin

From ortho- + -clase.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ортоклаз
  • ортоклаз (ortoklaz)potassium aluminum silicate
Chinese 正長石 /正长石, 正长石
  • 正長石 /正长石 (zhèngchángshí)potassium aluminum silicate
  • 正长石 (zhèngchángshí)potassium aluminum silicate
Czech ortoklas
  • ortoklaspotassium aluminum silicate
Dutch orthoklaas
  • orthoklaaspotassium aluminum silicate
Finnish ortoklaasi
  • ortoklaasipotassium aluminum silicate
German Orthoklas
  • Orthoklaspotassium aluminum silicate
Hebrew אורתוקלז
  • אורתוקלז (ōrtōqlaz)potassium aluminum silicate
Irish ortaclás
  • ortacláspotassium aluminum silicate
Japanese 正長石
  • 正長石 (seichōseki)potassium aluminum silicate
Korean 정장석
  • 정장석 (jeongjangseok)potassium aluminum silicate
Polish ortoklaz
  • ortoklazpotassium aluminum silicate
Portuguese ortoclase
  • ortoclasepotassium aluminum silicate
Romanian ortoză
  • ortozăpotassium aluminum silicate
Russian ортоклаз
  • ортоклаз (ortoklaz)potassium aluminum silicate
Slovak ortoklas
  • ortoklaspotassium aluminum silicate
Spanish ortoclasa, ortosa
  • ortoclasapotassium aluminum silicate
  • ortosapotassium aluminum silicate
Swedish ortoklas
  • ortoklaspotassium aluminum silicate
Turkish ortoklaz
  • ortoklazpotassium aluminum silicate
Vietnamese oc-to-cla
  • oc-to-clapotassium aluminum silicate
Cite this entry
APA

orthoclase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthoclase

MLA

“orthoclase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthoclase. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orthoclase,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthoclase.

Source: orthoclase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.