1. a mineral that has the crystal form of another mineral but a different chemical composition
Usage: geology; mineralogy

Examples

• The geologist identified the specimen as a pseudomorph of quartz after fluorite.
• Pseudomorphs form when one mineral replaces another while maintaining the original crystal shape.
• The museum’s collection includes several beautiful pseudomorphs showing perfect crystal forms.
• Students learned to distinguish between true crystals and pseudomorphs in their mineralogy class.
• The pseudomorph retained the cubic shape of the original pyrite crystal.
• Collectors prize pseudomorphs for their unusual combination of form and composition.