Meanings
nounplagioclase (usually uncountable, plural plagioclases)
plural plagioclases
- uncountableusuallychemistryAny of a group of aluminum silicate feldspathic minerals ranging in their ratio of calcium to sodium.
These crystals are of one of the most abundant minerals in nature – feldspar; furthermore, they are of a particular kind of feldspar rich in the element calcium, termed plagioclase.
2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 51
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- GermanPlagioklas
- Englishplagioclase
From plagio- + -clase, after German Plagioklas.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish plagioklaasi
- plagioklaasigroup of feldspar minerals
German Plagioklas
- Plagioklasgroup of feldspar minerals
Icelandic plagíóklas
- plagíóklasgroup of feldspar minerals
Japanese 斜長石
- 斜長石 (Shachōseki)group of feldspar minerals
Polish plagioklaz
- plagioklazgroup of feldspar minerals
Russian плагиокла́з
- плагиокла́з (plagiokláz)group of feldspar minerals
Spanish plagioclasa
- plagioclasagroup of feldspar minerals
Cite this entry
APA
plagioclase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plagioclase
MLA
“plagioclase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plagioclase. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “plagioclase,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plagioclase.
Source: plagioclase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.