Earth & SkyGreek → English
Molybdenite
/məˈlɪbdənaɪt/noun
Molybdenum disulphide, the main ore of molybdenum and a widely used dry lubricant.
The Greek roots
μόλυβδος
mólybdos
lead
Literally: “lead stone”
Follow a root:μόλυβδος1 word
The story of the word
Greek molybdos meant lead, and molybdaina covered any soft grey mineral that left a mark on paper. Galena and this one were lumped together until Scheele pulled them apart in 1778, which is how a metal with no relation to lead ended up named after it. The mineral smears under a fingernail because its layers slide, and that is exactly why it works as a lubricant where oil would burn off.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
- First recorded
- 19th century
Same family
molybdenummolybdate
In a sentence
Molybdenite grease holds up in the wheel bearings long after ordinary oil has cooked away.