Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

willemite

 - 3 dictionary results

wil⋅lem⋅ite

[wil-uh-mahyt]
–noun
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:
1835–45; named after King Willem I; see -ite 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To willemite
wil·lem·ite   (wĭl'ə-mīt')   
n.  A colorless, vitreous to resinous, often fluorescent mineral, Zn2SiO4, a minor ore of zinc.

[Dutch willemit, after Willem I (1772-1843), king of the Netherlands.]
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

willemite

white or greenish-yellow silicate mineral, zinc silicate, Zn2SiO4, that is found as crystals, grains, or fibres with other zinc ores in many deposits. Included are various localities in Sussex County, N.J., where it occurs in crystalline limestone and constitutes an important zinc ore; it was worked at Nutley for more than 100 years before the reserve was exhausted in 1954. Occurrences outside the United States include Belgium, Algeria, South West Africa/Namibia, and Greenland. Its brilliant green fluorescence led to its use in early television tubes. For detailed physical properties, see silicate mineral (table)

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

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see willemite on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: