Hexahedrites

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Iron meteorites primarily composed of nickel-iron alloy without visible crystalline structure; a subgroup of meteorites characterized by lacking the typical crystalline patterns seen in other iron meteorites; extraterrestrial metal masses classified by their homogeneous, structureless interior mostly made of iron and nickel
2. Metallic space rocks consisting mainly of iron and nickel with no clear crystal patterns; a class of iron meteorites distinguished by a uniform internal texture rather than the common lattice structure; fragments from outer space identified by their solid, non-crystalline metallic composition
3. Space-origin iron-nickel masses lacking crystalline formations common in other meteorites; a type of meteorite differentiated by its absence of crystal lines in its nickel-iron matrix; celestial iron objects recognized by their smooth, featureless internal metallic structure

Etymology: Hexahedrite is a technical coinage, built from Greek roots. "Hexa-" comes from Greek "hex", meaning six, and "-hedron" from "hedra", a seat or face, so a hexahedron is a solid with six faces, the cube being the familiar example. Hexahedrites are iron meteorites whose structure, revealed when a slice is etched with acid, shows the crystal pattern of a cube, which is why the name refers to six faces. Among iron meteorites, the hexahedrites are the group that has no visible crystals of the sort found in other classes, so the name's geometric reference is to the iron's internal structure rather than to any shape of the rock itself. The plural "hexahedrites" is simply the form used when referring to more than one such meteorite or to the group as a whole, and the singular "hexahedrite" carries the same origin.

Synonyms: iron meteorites, octahedrites, meteorites, stony-iron meteorites