sorbite

S1O1R1B3I1T1E1

noun

Pearlite.

Scrabble 9

Meanings

sorbite1

nounsorbite (countable and uncountable, plural sorbites)

plural sorbites

  1. countableobsoleteuncountablePearlite.

    Some consider granular pearlite or granular cementite to be sorbite. Hence it is also called sorbitic pearlite, and when referring to the contained carbon, sorbitic carbide.

    1962, J. W. Mellor, A Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, volume 12, page 847
    2 more examples

    According to Boynton this constituent is sorbite in the case of steels containing more than ·8 per cent. carbon, for if troostite be β iron free from carbon it cannot exist in hyper-eutectoid steels.

    1905, Professional Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers, volume 30, page 217

    After a very long period of annealing their morphology is very similar to the carbides precipitated in the sorbite and, as regards the amount of precipitate, the ferritic grains are almost indiscernible from the sorbitic (Fig.3).

    1962, The Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute, volume 200, page 940

sorbite2

nounsorbite (countable and uncountable, plural sorbites)

plural sorbites

  1. countableobsoleteuncountableSorbitol.

    Sorbite is isomeric with mannite and dulcite, and forms with oxalic acid at 75° sorbite-formamide, with evolution of carbonic anhydride. It is a colourless odourless syrup.

    1881, “Abstracts of Chemical Papers: Sorbin and Sorbite”, in Journal of the Chemical Society, volume 11, page 148

Origin

sorbite · noun

From Sorby (“a surname”) + -ite, after Henry Clifton Sorby.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sorbite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorbite

MLA

“sorbite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorbite. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sorbite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorbite.

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