willemite

[ wil-uh-mahyt ]

noun
  1. a mineral, a zinc silicate, Zn2SiO4, sometimes containing manganese, occurring in prismatic crystals or granular masses, usually greenish, sometimes white, brown, or red: a minor ore of zinc.

Origin of willemite

1
First recorded in 1835–45; named after Willem I (1772–1843) king of the Netherlands (1815–40) + -ite1

Words Nearby willemite

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

How to use willemite in a sentence

  • In the New Jersey mines the zinc ores are the oxides zincite and willemite, and the zinc-iron oxide franklinite.

    The A B C of Mining | Charles A. Bramble

British Dictionary definitions for willemite

willemite

/ (ˈwɪləˌmaɪt) /


noun
  1. a secondary mineral consisting of zinc silicate in hexagonal crystalline form. It is white, colourless, or coloured by impurities and is found in veins of zinc ore. Formula: Zn 2 SiO 4

Origin of willemite

1
C19: from Dutch willemit, named after Willem I of the Netherlands (1772–1843)

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