A gray or white mineral that is a chloride of silver, sometimes used historically in photography and medicine.
From 'chloro-' (chlorine or chloride) plus 'argyrite' (from Greek 'argyros' meaning silver). The name literally describes its chemical composition: a chloride of silver.
Before digital photography, silver chloride minerals like clorargyrite were absolutely crucial because silver compounds are sensitive to light—the entire history of photography literally depends on these light-sensitive silver chemicals!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.