baryte

BAR'YTE, n. [Gr.heavy; weight.] Ponderous earth; so called from its great weight, it being the heaviest of the earths. Spec.grav. about 4. Recent discoveries have shown that baryte is an oxyd, the basis of which is a metallic substance called barium. It is generally found in combination with the sulphuric and carbonic acids,forming the sulphate and carbonate of baryte,the former of which is called heavy spar.