1. a type of clay mineral that can absorb large amounts of water and swell considerably
Usage: geology; mineralogy

Examples

• Smectite clays are commonly used in drilling muds for oil wells.
• The soil contained high levels of smectite, making it prone to expansion when wet.
• Bentonite is a rock composed primarily of smectite minerals.
• The smectite in the clay gave it excellent water retention properties.
• Geologists identified smectite deposits in the sedimentary layers.
• The swelling behavior of smectite makes it useful in various industrial applications.