Pronunciation: ' sil- ˌ v ī t
Variant: also syl · vine \ - ˌ v ē n \
Function: noun
Etymology: alteration of sylvine, from French, from New Latin sal digestivus Sylvii digestive salt of Sylvius, from Sylvius latinized name of Jacques Dubois † 1555 French physician
Date: 1868
: a mineral that is a natural potassium chloride and occurs in colorless cubes or crystalline masses