Pyroxene - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition pyroxene

Definition :

A common mineral occurring in monoclinic crystals with a prismatic angle of nearly 90deg and also in massive forms which are often laminated It varies in color from white to dark green and black and includes many varieties differing in color and composition as diopside malacolite salite coccolite augite etc They are all silicates of lime and magnesia with sometimes alumina and iron Pyroxene is an essential constituent of many rocks especially basic igneous rocks as basalt gabbro etc