pīˈräkˌsēn, pə̇ˈr- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French pyroxène, from pyr- + -xène -xene; probably from the mistaken belief that it was alien to igneous rocks
1. : a mineral of the pyroxene group usually occurring in monoclinic short thick prismatic crystals or in square cross section or massive, often laminated, varying in color from white to dark green or black or rarely blue, and constituting a common constituent of igneous rocks (hardness 5-6, specific gravity 3.2-3.6)
2. : a member of the pyroxene group