Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Nearby Words

gossan

 - 3 dictionary results

gos⋅san

  [gos-uhn, goz-]
Use gossan in a Sentence
–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, deriv. of gōs blood; akin to Welsh gwaed
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To gossan
gos·san   (gŏs'ən, gŏz-)   
n.  An exposed, oxidized portion of a mineral vein, especially a rust-colored outcrop of iron ore.

[Cornish gossen, from gōs, blood, from Old Cornish guit.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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.

Learn more about gossan with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see gossan on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way