/mɪˈnɚʌlz/ - [minerulz] -
We found 3 definitions of minerals from 2 different sources.
NounPlural: minerals |
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mineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition | ||
material, stuff things needed for doing or making something; "writing materials"; "useful teaching materials" | ||
rock, stone pitching dangerously to one side | ||
ader wax, earth wax, mineral wax, ozocerite, ozokerite a waxy mineral that is a mixture of hydrocarbons and occurs in association with petroleum; some varieties are used in making ceresin and candles | ||
amblygonite a white or grey mineral consisting of lithium aluminum phosphate; a source of lithium | ||
amphibole a mineral or mineral variety belonging to the amphibole group | ||
amphibole group a group of minerals with similar crystal structures containing a silicate chain and combinations of chiefly sodium and calcium and magnesium and iron and aluminum | ||
apatite a common complex mineral consisting of calcium fluoride phosphate or calcium chloride phosphate; a source of phosphorus | ||
aragonite a mineral form of crystalline calcium carbonate; dimorphic with calcite | ||
argentite a valuable silver ore consisting of silver sulfide (Ag2S) | ||
argyrodite a rare steel-grey mineral consisting of silver and germanium and sulfur | ||
arsenopyrite, mispickel a silver-white or grey ore of arsenic | ||
mineral pitch, asphalt a dark bituminous substance found in natural beds and as residue from petroleum distillation; consists mainly of hydrocarbons | ||
augite dark-green to black glassy mineral of the pyroxene group containing large amounts of aluminum and iron and magnesium | ||
baddeleyite a mineral consisting of zirconium oxide | ||
bastnaesite, bastnasite a yellow-to-brown mineral that is a source of rare earth elements | ||
bauxite a clay-like mineral; the chief ore of aluminum; composed of aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides; used as an abrasive and catalyst | ||
beryl the chief source of beryllium; colored transparent varieties are valued as gems | ||
borax an ore of boron consisting of hydrated sodium borate; used as a flux or cleansing agent | ||
bornite, peacock ore a mineral consisting of sulfides of copper and iron that is found in copper deposits | ||
carnallite a white or reddish mineral consisting of hydrous chlorides of potassium and magnesium; used as a fertilizer and as a source of potassium and magnesium | ||
cassiterite a hard heavy dark mineral that is the chief source of tin | ||
celestite a mineral consisting of strontium sulphate | ||
cerussite, white lead ore a mineral consisting of lead carbonate that is an important source of lead | ||
chalcocite, copper glance a heavy grey mineral that is an ore of copper | ||
chalcopyrite, copper pyrites a yellow copper ore (CuFeS2) made up of copper and iron sulfide | ||
chlorite a generally green or black mineral; it occurs as a constituent of many rocks typically in the form of a flat crystal | ||
chromite a brownish-black mineral; the major source of chromium | ||
chrysoberyl a rare hard yellow green mineral consisting of beryllium aluminate in crystal form; used as a gemstone | ||
cinnabar large red-and-black European moth; larvae feed on leaves of ragwort; introduced into United States to control ragwort | ||
cobaltite a rare silvery-white mineral; important ore of cobalt | ||
halite, rock salt naturally occurring crystalline sodium chloride | ||
coltan, columbite-tantalite a valuable black mineral combining niobite and tantalite; used in cell phones and computer chips | ||
cordierite a blue mineral of magnesium and iron and aluminum and silicon and oxygen; often used as a gemstone | ||
corundom, corundum very hard mineral used as an abrasive | ||
cristobalite a white mineral consisting of silica; found in volcanic rocks | ||
crocolite a rare lead chromite mineral that forms bright orange crystals | ||
cryolite, greenland spar a white mineral consisting of fluorides of aluminum and sodium; a source of fluorine | ||
cuprite a mineral consisting of cuprous oxide that is a source of copper | ||
bitter spar, dolomite a light colored mineral consisting of calcium magnesium carbonate; a source of magnesium; used as a ceramic and as fertilizer | ||
earth color a colored mineral used as a pigment | ||
emery a hard grey-black mineral consisting of corundum and either hematite or magnetite; used as an abrasive (especially as a coating on paper) | ||
cobalt bloom, erythrite a reddish mineral consisting of hydrated cobalt arsenate in monoclinic crystalline form and used in coloring glass; usually found in veins bearing cobalt and arsenic | ||
fergusonite a dark mineral consisting of oxides of yttrium and erbium and tantalum and other minerals | ||
fluor, fluorite, fluorspar a soft mineral (calcium fluoride) that is fluorescent in ultraviolet light; chief source of fluorine | ||
gadolinite, ytterbite a mineral that is a source of rare earths; consists of silicates of iron and beryllium and cerium and yttrium and erbium | ||
galena soft blue-grey mineral; lead sulfide; a major source of lead | ||
garnet any of a group of hard glassy minerals (silicates of various metals) used as gemstones and as an abrasive | ||
garnierite a green mineral consisting of hydrated nickel magnesium silicate; a source of nickel | ||
germanite a rare reddish-grey mineral consisting of a copper iron germanium sulfide | ||
gibbsite white crystalline mineral consisting of aluminum hydroxide; a constituent of bauxite and a source of alumina | ||
glauconite a green mineral consisting of hydrated silicate of potassium or iron or magnesium or aluminum; found in greensand | ||
cadmium sulphide, greenockite ore of cadmium; a rare yellowish mineral consisting of cadmium sulphide in crystalline form | ||
gypsum a common white or colorless mineral (hydrated calcium sulphate) used to make cements and plasters (especially plaster of Paris) | ||
hausmannite a mineral consisting of manganese tetroxide; a source of manganese | ||
barite, barytes, heavy spar, barium sulphate a white or colorless mineral (BaSO4); the main source of barium | ||
calamine, hemimorphite a white mineral; a common ore of zinc | ||
ilmenite a weakly magnetic black mineral found in metamorphic and plutonic rocks; an iron titanium oxide in crystalline form; a source of titanium | ||
jadeite a hard green mineral consisting of sodium aluminum silicate in monoclinic crystalline form; a source of jade; found principally in Burma | ||
kainite a white mineral consisting of magnesium sulphate and potassium chloride; a source of potassium salts; used as a fertilizer | ||
kaolinite a mineral consisting of aluminum silicate; main source of kaolin | ||
kernite a light soft mineral consisting of hydrated sodium borate in crystalline form; an important source of boron | ||
kieserite a white mineral consisting of hydrous magnesium sulfate often found in salt mines | ||
cyanite, kyanite a grey or greenish-blue mineral consisting of aluminum silicate in crystalline form; occurs in metaphoric rock, used as a refractory | ||
langbeinite a mineral consisting of potassium magnesium double sulphate; used as a fertilizer | ||
magnesite a white mineral consisting of magnesium carbonate; a source of magnesium | ||
malachite a green or blue mineral used as an ore of copper and for making ornamental objects | ||
maltha, mineral tar a thick black tar intermediate between petroleum and asphalt | ||
manganite a black mineral consisting of basic manganese oxide; a source of manganese | ||
sepiolite, meerschaum a pipe having a bowl made of meerschaum | ||
isinglass, mica any of various minerals consisting of hydrous silicates of aluminum or potassium etc. that crystallize in forms that allow perfect cleavage into very thin leaves; used as dielectrics because of their resistance to electricity | ||
millerite a yellow mineral consisting of nickel sulfide; a minor source of nickel | ||
molybdenite a mineral resembling graphite that is valued as the chief source of molybdenum and its compounds | ||
monazite a reddish-brown mineral containing rare earth metals; an important source of thorium and cerium | ||
nepheline, nephelite a whitish mineral consisting of sodium aluminum silicate or potassium aluminum silicate in crystalline form; used in the manufacture of ceramics and enamels | ||
nephelinite an igneous rock consisting of nepheline and pyroxene | ||
columbite, niobite a black mineral that is an ore of niobium and tantalum | ||
nitrocalcite the mineral form of calcium nitrate | ||
olivine a mineral consisting of magnesium iron silicate; a source of magnesium | ||
olivenite rare green to black mineral consisting of hydrated copper arsenate that is found in copper deposits | ||
opal a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones | ||
ore a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined | ||
orpiment a yellow mineral occurring in conjunction with realgar; an ore of arsenic | ||
iridosmine, osmiridium a hard and corrosion resistant mineral that is a natural alloy of osmium and iridium (usually containing small amounts of rhodium and platinum); used in needles and pen nibs etc. | ||
pentlandite a mineral (iron and nickel sulphide) that is the chief ore of nickel | ||
magnesia, magnesium oxide, periclase a white solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase; a source of magnesium | ||
pinite grey or green or brown mineral similar to mica and containing aluminum and potassium sulphates | ||
pollucite a rare mineral that is an important source of cesium | ||
psilomelane a mineral consisting of hydrated basic oxide of manganese and barium; a source of manganese | ||
fool's gold, iron pyrite, pyrite a common mineral (iron disulfide) that has a pale yellow color | ||
pyrolusite a mineral consisting of manganese dioxide; an important source of manganese | ||
green lead ore, pyromorphite a mineral consisting of lead chloride and phosphate; a minor source of lead | ||
pyrophyllite a white or greenish aluminum silicate mineral (resembles talc) | ||
pyroxene any of a group of crystalline silicate mineral common in igneous and metamorphic rocks | ||
magnetic pyrites, pyrrhotine, pyrrhotite a brownish iron sulfide mineral (FeS) having weak magnetic properties | ||
quartz a hard glossy mineral consisting of silicon dioxide in crystal form; present in most rocks (especially sandstone and granite); yellow sand is quartz with iron oxide impurities | ||
realgar a rare soft orange mineral consisting of arsenic sulphide; an important ore of arsenic | ||
red clay clay whose redness results from iron oxide | ||
rhodochrosite a mineral consisting of manganese carbonate; a source of manganese | ||
rhodonite a pink or red mineral consisting of crystalline manganese silicate; used as an ornamental stone | ||
rutile a mineral consisting of titanium dioxide in crystalline form; occurs in metamorphic and plutonic rocks and is a major source of titanium | ||
samarskite a complex black mineral occurring in pegmatites | ||
sapphirine a rare light blue or green mineral; consists of aluminum and magnesium silicate and occurs as small grains in some metamorphic rocks | ||
scheelite a mineral used as an ore of tungsten | ||
smaltite a grey mineral consisting of cobalt arsenide and nickel; an important source of cobalt and nickel | ||
sodalite a vitreous mineral consisting of sodium aluminum silicate and sodium chloride in crystalline form; occurs in igneous rocks | ||
spar making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer | ||
spinel a hard glassy mineral consisting of an oxide of magnesium and aluminum; occurs in various colors that are used as gemstones | ||
spodumene a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminum silicate; a source of lithium | ||
stannite, tin pyrites a dark grey mineral with a metallic luster that is a source of tin | ||
stibnite a soft grey mineral; the chief ore of antimony | ||
strontianite a mineral consisting of strontium carbonate | ||
graphic tellurium, sylvanite a silver-white mineral consisting of silver gold telluride; a source of gold in Australia and America | ||
sylvine, sylvite a mineral consisting of native potassium chloride; an important ore of potassium that is found in sedimentary beds | ||
talc, talcum a fine grained mineral having a soft soapy feel and consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate; used in a variety of products including talcum powder | ||
tantalite a mineral consisting of tantalum oxide of iron and manganese that occurs with niobite or in coarse granite; an ore of tantalum | ||
thorite a radioactive mineral consisting of thorium silicate; it is a source of thorium that is found in coarse granite | ||
thortveitite a mineral consisting of scandium yttrium silicate; a source of scandium | ||
topaz a mineral (fluosilicate of aluminum) that occurs in crystals of various colors and is used as a gemstone | ||
tourmaline a mineral that is a complex borosilicate and hydroxide of aluminum containing iron and magnesium and calcium and lithium and sodium; it is usually black but occurs in transparent colored forms that are used as gemstones | ||
tridymite a mineral form of silica | ||
turquoise a blue to grey green mineral consisting of copper aluminum phosphate; "blue turquoise is valued as a gemstone" | ||
vanadinite a mineral consisting of chloride and vanadate of lead; a source of vanadium | ||
vermiculite any of a group of yellow or brown hydrous silicate minerals having a micaceous structure | ||
idocrase, vesuvian, vesuvianite a green or yellow or brown mineral consisting of a hydrated silicate; it occurs as crystals in limestone and is used a gemstone | ||
iron manganese tungsten, wolframite a mineral consisting of iron and manganese tungstate in crystalline form; the principal ore of tungsten; found in quartz veins associated with granitic rocks | ||
wollastonite a white or greyish mineral typically found in metamorphic limestone; a silicate of calcium | ||
wulfenite a yellow to orange or brown mineral used as a molybdenum ore | ||
wurtzite a brownish-black mineral consisting of zinc sulfide | ||
xenotime a brown-to-yellow mineral that is a phosphate of yttrium in crystalline form | ||
zeolite any of a family of glassy minerals analogous to feldspar containing hydrated aluminum silicates of calcium or sodium or potassium; formed in cavities in lava flows and in plutonic rocks | ||
blende, sphalerite, zinc blende an ore that is the chief source of zinc; consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form | ||
zinkenite a steel grey metallic mineral (a sulphide of lead and antimony) | ||
Adjective |
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mineral - composed of matter other than plant or animal; "the inorganic mineral world" | ||
mineral - relating to minerals; "mineral elements"; "mineral deposits" |