ampelite

noun

am·​pe·​lite

ˈampəˌlīt

plural -s

1

: a black earth rich in pyrites used by the ancients to kill insects on vines

2

: carbonaceous schist : cannel coal

ampelitic

¦ampə¦litik

adjective

Word History

Etymology

Latin ampelitis, from Greek, from ampelos vine

First Known Use

circa 1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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