Bombiccite

/bɑmˈbɪsaɪt/ noun

Definition

A mineral or substance related to silk or silkworm products, though this term is extremely rare in modern usage.

Etymology

From 'bombic' (relating to silk from Greek 'bombyx') plus the mineral suffix '-cite.' This appears to be a 19th-century mineral naming convention that never became standard.

Kelly Says

This word is so obscure that it might appear in only a handful of ancient mineralogy textbooks—it's the kind of term that shows how scientists used to name things based on where they came from rather than what they really were.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.