Bentonite Definition
bĕntə-nīt
noun
An absorbent aluminum silicate clay formed from volcanic ash and used in various adhesives, cements, and ceramic fillers.
American Heritage
A porous clay consisting mainly of the mineral montmorillonite, which swells greatly when it absorbs water.
Webster's New World
(mineralogy) Any of several impure clay minerals consisting mostly of montmorillonite.
Wiktionary
A porous clay formed by the decomposition of volcanic ash that swells 5 to 6 times its original volume in the presence of water.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Bentonite
Noun
Singular:
bentonite
Plural:
bentonitesOrigin of Bentonite
After Benton Formation of the Rock Creek district in eastern Wyoming
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
From Benton + -ite, after the place it was first mined: Fort Benton, Montana.
From Wiktionary
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