colite

Colite is a term encountered infrequently in geological and mineralogical literature, and it does not have a single, widely accepted definition. The word has appeared in older or regionally specific texts and may be used in different ways depending on the source. In some contexts it has been noted as a possible misspelling or variant of calcite, the common calcium carbonate mineral. In others, it has been used as a vernacular name for lime-rich aggregates or for lithified sediments with calcite-like features. Because of these varied usages, colite lacks a formal mineralogical status and is not listed as a distinct mineral species in modern reference works.

In practice, if colite is encountered in a text, its meaning should be inferred from context: the described rock type, associated minerals, locality, and the time period of the publication. Contemporary geologists generally replace ambiguous usages with explicit terms such as calcite, calcitic limestone, dolomite, or caliche, as appropriate. The term may also appear in historical descriptions of rock fabrics or diagenetic textures where terminology has since changed.

See also: calcite, limestone, caliche, dolomite. If exact meaning is required, primary sources or regional glossaries should be consulted.