adj. Relating to or being a chemical element that tends to bond with sulfur and form highly insoluble, dense sulfide minerals. Compounds with chalcophile elements are usually heavier than those with lithophile elements and are thought to fall into a planet's interior but remain above the core when the planet is largely molten during its formation. n. A chalcophile element. [German chalkophil : Greek khalkos, copper + -PHILE (from the fact that chalcophile elements are concentrated in the same formations as copper).] |
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