noun
- Plural of autunite; hydrated calcium uranium phosphate minerals that are typically yellow-green and radioactive.
Usage: mineralogy; technical; plural form
Examples
- Autunites are commonly found in uranium ore deposits around the world.
- The museum's mineral collection includes several specimens of autunites from France.
- Geologists identify autunites by their characteristic yellow-green fluorescence under ultraviolet light.
- Autunites contain uranium and must be handled with appropriate safety precautions.
- The discovery of autunites in the region indicated the presence of uranium mineralization.