E*ryth"rite (?), n. [Gr.
'eryqro`s red.] 1. (Chem.) A
colorless crystalline substance,
C4H6.(OH)4, of a sweet, cooling
taste, extracted from certain lichens, and obtained by the
decomposition of erythrin; -- called also erythrol,
erythroglucin, erythromannite, pseudorcin,
cobalt bloom, and under the name phycite obtained from
the alga Protococcus vulgaris. It is a tetrabasic alcohol,
corresponding to glycol and glycerin.
2. (Min.) A rose-red mineral,
crystallized and earthy, a hydrous arseniate of cobalt, known also as
cobalt bloom; -- called also erythrin or
erythrine.