/puy'reuh looh"suyt, puy rol"yeuh suyt'/ , n.
a common mineral, manganese dioxide, MnO 2 , the principal ore of manganese, used in various manufactures, as a decolorizer of brown or green tints in glass, and as a depolarizer in dry-cell batteries.
[ 1820-30; PYRO- + Gk loûs ( is ) washing + -ITE 1 ]