augite, augite

[In Ger. aug it, . In Lat. augites; Gr. αὐγίτης ( angites ), a precious stone, supposed by some to be the turquoise; αὐγή ( auge ) = bright light, radiance.] An important mineral, interesting from its geological as well as its mineralogical relations. The term has not always been used in the same sense. 1. Formerly: The augite of Werner was the same as what has been called volcanic schist and volcanite. 2. Now : Dana applies the name augite to the greenish or brownish-black and black kinds of aluminous pyroxene, found chiefly in eruptive, but sometimes also in metamorphic rocks. [PYROXENE.] When altered into hornblende it is called Tralite (q.v.). Augite was once suspected by many mineralogists to be Port . augmentar ; Ital. aumentare; from Lat. aug men to, -avi, -atum , v.t. = to increase; augeo , fut. auri to increase; Gr. αὐξάνω (αuzano), and αύξω ( αυzō ) = to increase.] [See WAX, ΕΚΕ.] A. Trans.: To increase the size of any thing; to make anything larger, in reality or to the imagination. old taxes were augmented or continued."Macaulay: Hist. Eng., chap. xxii. "At half this distance the attraction would be aug mented four times."-Tyndall: Frag. of Science , 3rd ed., i. 18. "Augment the fame and horror of the fight." Pope : Homer's Iliad , bk. Ivi., 792. B. In trans. To increase. "Strength is deriv'd from spirits and from blood; And those augment by generous wine and food Pope: Homer's Iliad , bk. xix., 159-60,