Pronunciation: ' fe-n ə - ˌ k ī t, ' f ē -
Variant: or phen · a · cite \ - ˌ s ī t \
Function: noun
Etymology: German Phenakit, from Greek phenak-, phenax deceiver; from its being easily mistaken for quartz
Date: circa 1834
: a hard glassy mineral that consists of a silicate of beryllium and occurs especially in rhombohedral crystals