Siderite
/ˈsaɪ.dəˌraɪt/noun
A mineral species, especially an iron carbonate; also a meteorite rich in iron.
Did you know?Its root is the same ancient Greek word for iron, *sideros*, which also helped create the word *sidereal*—the language of stars and iron was linked long before modern science.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ésh₂r̥
“star”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σίδηρος (sídēros)
“iron; later also connected with meteoric iron”
Late Latin
Latin
sideritis
“a kind of stone or iron-bearing mineral”
19th Century
English
siderite
“a mineral containing iron, especially iron carbonate”