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dol·o·mite

(dōlə-mīt′, dŏlə-)

1. A white or light-colored mineral, essentially CaMg(CO₃)₂, used in fertilizer, as a furnace refractory, and as a construction and ceramic material.

2. A magnesia-rich sedimentary rock resembling limestone.

[French, after Déodat de Dolomieu (1750-1801), French geologist.]

dol′o·mitic (-mĭtĭk) adj.

dol′o·mit′i·zation (-mĭt′ĭ-zāshən) n.

dolo·mit·ize′ (-mĭ-tīz′) v.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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