Meanings
nounzeolite (countable and uncountable, plural zeolites)
plural zeolites
- countableuncountablechemistryAny of several minerals, aluminosilicates of sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium, that have a porous structure (originally, those which swelled and gave off water when heated); they are used in water softeners, in ion exchange chromatography, and as industrial catalysts.First known use 18th c.
What I liked best were the zeolites from the stacks which rise out of the sea off the coast near Jaci.
1962, WH Auden; Elizabeth Mayer, translating JW Goethe, Italian Journey, Penguin, published 1970, page 284
Origin
- Ancient Greekζέω“to boil, bubble”
- New Latinzeolites
- Swedishzeolit
- Englishzeolite
From Swedish zeolit, and its source, New Latin zeolites, from Ancient Greek ζέω (zéō, “to boil, bubble”) + -lite.
More words from Swedish, New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 沸石
- 沸石 (fèishí)mineral
Dutch zeoliet
- zeolietmineral
Esperanto zeolito
- zeolitomineral
Finnish zeoliitti
- zeoliittimineral
French zéolithe
- zéolithemineral
Malay zeolit
- zeolitmineral
Persian زئولیت
- زئولیت (ze'olit)mineral
Portuguese zeólita
- zeólitamineral
Swedish zeolit
- zeolitmineral
Cite this entry
APA
zeolite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zeolite
MLA
“zeolite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zeolite. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zeolite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zeolite.
Source: zeolite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.