bəˈsäˌnīt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Italian, from Francesco Bassani, 20th century Italian geologist + Italian -ite
: a mineral CaSO 4 . 1/2H 2 O consisting of calcium sulfate found in white opaque crystals in blocks ejected from Vesuvius in 1906 (sp. gr. 2.69-2.76) — compare plaster of paris