Standard Lemma guide

goethite

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈɡœtaɪt/
  • /ˈɡoʊθaɪt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

An iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust and in mineral form is an ore.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, geography, geology, mineralogy, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: iron ore

2

noun

Meaning 2

a red or yellow or brown mineral; an oxide of iron that is a common constituent of rust

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gothite

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: iron ore

History

Etymology

From German Goethit, named for German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; by surface analysis, Goethe + -ite.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: goethita — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Estonian: götiit — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Finnish: götiitti — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • French: goethite — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • German: Goethit — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Italian: goethite — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Portuguese: goethita — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Russian: гёти́т (gjotít) — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Spanish: goethita — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Spanish: goetita — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Swedish: goethit — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust
  • Thai: เกอไทต์ (gertai) — an iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust