Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Benson and his colleagues studied samples of both smectite and illite drilled from the ground throughout the caldera.—Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 30 Aug. 2023 In 2018, Wallace co-led an offshore drilling expedition to Hikurangi, which pulled up a lot of clay sediments rich in the mineral smectite, often used by the oil and gas industry as a lubricant in drilling muds.—Bypaul Voosen, science.org, 21 June 2023
Word History
Etymology
smectis fuller's earth, modification of Greek smēktris kind of fuller's earth, from smēchein to clean
Share