a clay mineral consisting of hydrated magnesium aluminium silicate and occurring in metamorphic rocks such as serpentine
Word origin
C19: from Swedish saponit (a rendering of German Seifenstein soapstone), from Latin sāpōsoap
saponite in American English
(ˈsæpəˌnaɪt)
noun
a complex hydrous silicate of aluminum and magnesium, a light-colored, soft clay mineral, often found in veins and cavities in serpentine and basaltic rocks