Hexahedrite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of iron meteorite whose metal forms cube-shaped crystal grains and contains relatively little nickel
2. An iron meteorite classed by its cubic crystalline structure, made of metal with a low nickel content
3. A cubic-structured iron meteorite, a rock from space composed mainly of metal with little nickel

Etymology: Hexahedrite combines two Greek elements: "hexa", meaning six, and "hedra", meaning face or seat, so the name describes a six-faced solid, the cube. The "-ite" ending is the standard suffix for naming minerals and rocks, and meteorites are often named the same way. The term is a modern scientific coinage built from classical parts, not a word ancient Greek writers would have recognised. The name points to the metal's internal arrangement of iron atoms, which forms a cubic lattice. Hexahedrites are iron meteorites with relatively low nickel content, and their crystal structure makes them tend to split along cube faces, which is why the name fits.