1. plural of monazite; phosphate minerals containing rare earth elements, typically found in igneous and metamorphic rocks
Usage: geology; mineralogy

Examples

• The geologist collected several monazites from the granite outcrop.
• Monazites are important sources of thorium and rare earth elements.
• Beach sands often contain heavy monazites that can be mined commercially.
• The laboratory analyzed the monazites to determine their rare earth content.
• Monazites typically appear as small, yellowish-brown crystals in rock samples.