Nearby Words

gossan

[gos-uhn, goz-]

gos·san

[gos-uhn, goz-]
noun
a rust-colored deposit of mineral matter at the outcrop of a vein or orebody containing iron-bearing materials.
Also called iron hat.


Origin:
1770–80; orig. dial. (Cornwall) < Cornish, derivative of gōs blood; akin to Welsh gwaed
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Gossan is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

gossan

rust-coloured oxide and hydroxide minerals of iron and manganese that cap an ore deposit. Gossans form by the oxidation of the sulfide minerals in an ore deposit and they thus may be used as clues to the existence of subsurface ore deposits, especially if distinctive boxworks are present.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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