noun
bauxite
BAWK-site/ˈbɔːksaɪt/
The main ore from which aluminum is extracted.
The reddish-brown bauxite specimens sit beside an ingot of the aluminum they yield.
Etymology
Bauxite names the aluminum-bearing mineral after Les Baux, where it was first found. The place name itself means “the precipices,” giving this ore a geographical rather than chemical name.
In context
In the alumina refinery, bauxite slurry enters the Bayer digestion system. Hot caustic soda solution dissolves aluminum minerals from the bauxite.
More examples
- The mine extracts bauxite from a thick surface deposit.
- The lesson follows bauxite through the refining process.
- A reddish bauxite sample rests beside the other ores.
Similar words
- ore
- The broader term for material from which a valuable mineral is extracted.