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sel·e·nite

(sĕlə-nīt′, sĭ-lē-)

Gypsum in the form of colorless clear crystals.

[Latin selēnītēs, from Greek selēnītēs (lithos), moon (stone), selenite (so called because it was believed to wax and wane with the moon), from selēnē, moon; see SELENIUM.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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