sphal·er·ite  (sfāl'ə-rīt')  n. The primary ore of zinc, occurring in usually yellow-brown or brownish-black crystals or cleavage masses, essentially ZnS with some cadmium, iron, and manganese. Also called blende, zinc blende. [Greek sphaleros, slippery, deceitful (from sphallein, to trip, from its being easily mistaken for galena) + -ite1.] |
| zinc blende n. See sphalerite. |