Adjacent Words

Steatite definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

STEATITE, n. [Gr., fat.] Soapstone; so called from its smooth or unctuous feel; a subspecies of rhomboidal mica. It is of two kings, the common, and the pagodite or lard-stone. It is sometimes confounded with talck, to which its is allied. It is a compact stone, white, green of all shades, gray, brown or marbled, and sometimes herborized by black dendrites. It is found in metalliferous veins, with the ores of copper, lead, zink, silver and tin.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a soft heavy compact variety of talc having a soapy feel; used to make hearths and tabletops and ornaments [syn: soapstone, soaprock, soap-rock, steatite]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Latin steatitis, a precious stone, from Greek, from steat-, stear Date: 1794 1. a massive talc having a grayish-green or brown color ; soapstone 2. an electrically insulating porcelain composed largely of steatite • steatitic adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a soapstone or other impure form of talc. Derivatives: steatitic adj. Etymology: L steatitis f. Gk steatites f. stear steatos tallow

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Steatite Ste"a*tite, n. [Gr. ?, ?, fat, tallow: cf. F. st['e]atite.] (Min.) A massive variety of talc, of a grayish green or brown color. It forms extensive beds, and is quarried for fireplaces and for coarse utensils. Called also potstone, lard stone, and soapstone.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Talc Talc, n. [F. talc; cf. Sp. & It. talco, LL. talcus; all fr. Ar. talq.] (Min.) A soft mineral of a soapy feel and a greenish, whitish, or grayish color, usually occurring in foliated masses. It is hydrous silicate of magnesia. Steatite, or soapstone, is a compact granular variety. Indurated talc, an impure, slaty talc, with a nearly compact texture, and greater hardness than common talc; -- called also talc slate.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Soapstone, pot-stone, lard-stone. 2. Saponite.