zeuxite, n.

zeuxite
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zeuxite_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zeuxitenoun

## Earlier version

- zeuxite in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zeuxite mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zeuxite. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How is the noun zeuxite pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈz(j)uːksʌɪt/
ZYOOK-sight

#### U.S. English

/ˈzukˌsaɪt/
ZOOK-sight

### Where does the noun zeuxite come from?

Earliest known use

1830s

The earliest known use of the noun zeuxite is in the 1830s.

OED's earliest evidence for zeuxite is from 1836, in the writing of Thomas Thomson, chemist.

zeuxite is a borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element.

Etymons: Greek ζεύξις, ‑ite suffix1.

### Nearby entries

1. zeugmatogram, n. 1973–
2. zeugmatographic, adj. 1973–
3. zeugmatography, n. 1973–
4. zeunerite, n. 1873–
5. Zeus, n.¹ 1587–
6. Zeus, n.² 1601–
7. Zeus-like, adj. & adv. 1850–
8. Zeuxian, adj. 1635–
9. Zeuxis, n. 1577–
10. Zeuxis-like, adj. 1665–
11. zeuxite, n.1836–
12. zeze, n. 1860–
13. Zhdanovism, n. 1958–
14. Zhdanovist, adj. 1966–
15. Zhdanovite, adj. 1957–
16. zho, n. 1841–
17. zhomo, n. 1841–
18. zhuyin zimu, n. 1938–
19. zhuzh, n. 1968–
20. zhuzh, v. 1970–
21. zhuzhy, adj. 1968–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element.
Etymons: Greek ζεύξις, ‑ite suffix1.
< ancient Greek ζεύξις yoking of animals (< the stem of ζευγνύναι to join (see zeugma n.) + ‑σις ‑sis suffix), used to translate ‘unity’ in the name Huel Unity (see quot. 1836) + ‑ite suffix1.

## Meaning & use

Mineralogy. Now chiefly historical.

1. 1836–
   A green mineral later identified as a variety of tourmaline.
   1. 1836

      > Zeuxite. The mineral which I distinguish by this name was found in 1814 in considerable quantity in the Huel Unity mine, about three miles east of Redrath, in Cornwall.

      T. Thomson, Outline Mineralogy vol. I. 320
   2. 1855

      > The following table..will at once show how highly probable it is that zeuxite is in reality nothing but tourmaline.

      London, Edinburgh, & Dublin Philosophical Magazine & Journal of Science vol. 10 119
   3. 1896

      > Xeuxite,..variant of zeuxite.

      A. H. Chester, Dictionary of Names of Minerals 291
   4. 1905

      > The variety zeuxite, which is rich in iron and of an intensely dark green colour, occurs in remarkably large felted masses at the Castray River.

      Rep. Secretary Mines 1904 (Tasmania) 90
   5. 1944

      > Zeuxite, a green Brazilian tourmaline, also called Taltalite or Brazilian Emeralds.

      Jeweler's Dictionary in Jewelers' Circular-keystone November 184/3
   minerals historical
   1. schorl a1773–
      Tourmaline, esp. the black variety.
   2. rubellite 1794–
      A pinkish-red lithium-rich variety of tourmaline, often of gem quality.
   3. siberite 1802–68
      = rubellite, n.
   4. indicolite 1808–
      An indigo-coloured variety of tourmaline.
   5. zeuxite 1836–
      A green mineral later identified as a variety of tourmaline.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. red tourmaline 1768–
      = rubellite, n.
   2. rubellite 1794–
      A pinkish-red lithium-rich variety of tourmaline, often of gem quality.
   3. siberite 1802–68
      = rubellite, n.
   4. indicolite 1808–
      An indigo-coloured variety of tourmaline.
   5. zeuxite 1836–
      A green mineral later identified as a variety of tourmaline.
   6. achroite 1850–
      A colourless variety of tourmaline.
   7. lithia-tourmaline
      = rubellite, n.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈz(j)uːksʌɪt/
ZYOOK-sight

### U.S. English

/ˈzukˌsaɪt/
ZOOK-sight

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Forms

### Variant forms

1. 1800s–
   xeuxite (irregular), zeuxite

zeuxite, n. was revised in June 2018.

zeuxite, n. was last modified in July 2023.