collophane

noun

col·​lo·​phane

ˈkäləˌfān

variants or collophanite

kəˈläfəˌnīt,

ˈkäləf-

plural -s

: any of the massive cryptocrystalline varieties of apatite, often opaline or horny in appearance, used as a source of phosphate for fertilizers

usually : a hydroxylapatite containing carbonate

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary coll- + -phan or -phan + -ite; originally formed as German kollophan

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