Molybdenite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mineral consisting mainly of molybdenum disulfide, often found in metamorphic rocks; it is important for metal production due to its high melting point and hardness; this mineral typically appears as bluish-gray crystals in nature
2. A naturally occurring sulfide mineral composed primarily of molybdenum, used chiefly as an ore for extracting molybdenum; its crystalline form is characterized by a metallic luster and a platy structure; this mineral is essential in various industrial processes
3. A crystalline substance made up of molybdenum disulfide that serves as a significant source for molybdenum extraction; recognized for its unique properties like lubrication in high-temperature applications; it typically forms in metamorphosed sediments and igneous rocks

Etymology: Molybdenite is named for the metal it contains, and that metal's name traces back to lead. The ancient Greek "molybdos" meant lead, and "molybdaina" was a related word for a lead-like substance. Early chemists, who thought lead ores and the ores of similar grey metals were close relatives, applied the root to molybdenum, which was identified as a distinct element only in the late eighteenth century. Its Latin form, "molybdaena," was then coined as a scientific name for the element. The mineral took its name from that element. Its ending, "-ite," is the standard suffix mineralogists use to name minerals, and it comes through Latin and French before reaching English. So the word combines a Greek word for lead with a suffix that marks it as a mineral name. Molybdenite is therefore a mineral named for a metal whose own name was built on a word for lead, even though the mineral itself is a sulfide of molybdenum rather than of lead.