CLINORHOMBIC Meaning and
Definition
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Clinorhombic is an adjective used to describe a crystalline structure or system that possesses characteristics resembling a rhombus shape when observed from various angles. It is a term commonly employed to classify minerals and crystals based on their physical properties. In clinorhombic crystals, three of the crystallographic axes are mutually perpendicular, while the fourth axis is inclined at an oblique angle.
This crystal system falls under the larger category of orthorhombic systems, which possess three unequal crystallographic axes mutually perpendicular to each other. However, clinorhombic structures differ from orthorhombic ones in that one axis in the former is inclined rather than perpendicular to the other three axes. This inclination gives the crystals a rhombus-like shape when viewed from different perspectives.
Clinorhombic minerals often exhibit a distinct symmetry and are characterized by their unique optical properties. They are frequently found in various geological environments such as sedimentary rocks, granite, metamorphic rocks, and igneous rocks. Some notable examples of minerals with a clinorhombic crystal structure include staurolite, apophyllite, vesuvianite, and diopside.
The term clinorhombic is derived from the Greek words "klinein" and "rhombos," which translate to "to lean" and "rhombus" respectively. This combination aptly reflects the inclined rhombus-like shape characteristic of clinorhombic crystals.
Common Misspellings for CLINORHOMBIC
- xlinorhombic
- vlinorhombic
- flinorhombic
- dlinorhombic
- ckinorhombic
- cpinorhombic
- coinorhombic
- clunorhombic
- cljnorhombic
- clknorhombic
- clonorhombic
- cl9norhombic
- cl8norhombic
- cliborhombic
- climorhombic
- clijorhombic
- clihorhombic
- clinirhombic
- clinkrhombic
Etymology of CLINORHOMBIC
The word "clinorhombic" has a combination of Greek and Latin roots.
The first part, "clino", is derived from the Greek word "klinein", which means "to lean" or "to incline". This Greek root indicates the inclination or tilting characteristic of the crystal structure.
The second part, "rhombic", comes from the Latin word "rhombus", meaning "a parallelogram with opposite equal acute angles, opposite equal obtuse angles, and four equal sides". It is also related to the Greek word "rhombos", which has a similar meaning and refers to a rhombus-shaped figure.
Therefore, the word "clinorhombic" combines these two roots to describe a crystal system with an incline or tilt, while also possessing rhombus-like characteristics in its shape.
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