ˈmänəˌzīt noun
( -s )
Etymology: German monazit, from Greek monazein to be alone, live alone + German -it -ite; from its rarity — more at monastery
: a mineral (Ce,La,Md,Pr,Th)PO 4 consisting of a yellow, red, or brown phosphate of the cerium metals and thorium and occurring often in sand and gravel deposits (as in the Carolinas and Brazil)