Wastite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rare mineral that occurs in small quantities in certain ore deposits and is studied by geologists
2. The name given to a scarce mineral found in only a few specialized geological settings around the world
3. An uncommon naturally occurring mineral identified by mineralogists through its chemical composition and crystal form

Etymology: Wastite is a mineral name, so its history is that of a modern scientific coinage rather than an ancient word. The ending "-ite" is the standard suffix for mineral names. It comes from the Greek "lithos," meaning stone, passed through Latin "-ites" and used to name stones and rocks. Mineralogists adopted it widely in the 18th and 19th centuries, and most mineral names still follow the pattern. The first part of the name marks out the particular mineral. Because the name is a technical label rather than a word that grew through everyday speech, its meaning rests on the mineral's identity, not on any older sense of the word.