galena

[ guh-lee-nuh ]
See synonyms for galena on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a common, heavy mineral, lead sulfide, PbS, occurring in lead-gray crystals, usually cubes, and cleavable masses: the principal ore of lead.

Origin of galena

1
1595–1605; <Latin: lead ore
  • Also called ga·le·nite [guh-lee-nahyt]. /gəˈli naɪt/.

Words Nearby galena

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use galena in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for galena

galena

galenite (ɡəˈliːnaɪt)

/ (ɡəˈliːnə) /


noun
  1. a grey mineral, found in hydrothermal veins. It is the chief source of lead. Composition: lead sulphide. Formula: PbS. Crystal structure: cubic

Origin of galena

1
C17: from Latin: lead ore, dross left after melting lead

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for galena

galena

[ gə-lē ]


  1. A gray, metallic mineral occurring in cube-shaped crystals within veins of igneous rock or in sedimentary rocks. It is the main ore of lead. Chemical formula: PbS.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.