melanite

noun

mel·​a·​nite ˈme-lə-ˌnīt How to pronounce melanite (audio)
: a black andradite garnet
melanitic
ˌme-lə-ˈni-tik How to pronounce melanite (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Melanit, from Greek melan-, stem of mélās "black, dark" + German -it -ite entry 1 — more at melano-

Note: Term apparently introduced by the German mineralogist Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten (1768-1810) in Göttingesches Journal der Naturwissenschaft, Band 1, Heft 2 (1798), pp. 138-40.

First Known Use

circa 1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of melanite was circa 1807

Rhymes for melanite

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Browse Nearby Words

melanistic
melanite
melanization
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Cite this Entry

“Melanite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melanite. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about melanite

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