hematite

[hee-muh-tahyt, hem-uh-]

noun

1. a very common mineral, iron oxide, Fe 2 O 3 , occurring in steel-gray to black crystals and in red earthy masses: the principal ore of iron.

hematite

/ ˈhɛmətaɪt, ˈhɛmətaɪt, ˌhiː-, ˈhiːm-, ˌhɛməˈtɪtɪk /

noun

1. Also called: iron glance. a red, grey, or black mineral, found as massive beds and in veins and igneous rocks. It is the chief source of iron. Composition: iron (ferric) oxide. Formula: Fe 2 O 3 . Crystal structure: hexagonal (rhombohedral)

hematite

1. A reddish-brown to silver-gray metallic mineral. Hematite occurs as rhombohedral crystals, as reniform (kidney-shaped) crystals, or as fibrous aggregates in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. It is the most abundant ore of iron, and it is usually slightly magnetic. Chemical formula: Fe ₂ O ₃ .

Other Word Forms

• hematitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hematite¹

1535–45; < Latin haematītes bloodstone < Greek haimatī́tēs ( lithós ) bloodlike (stone). See hemat-, -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of hematite¹

C16: via Latin from Greek haimatitēs resembling blood, from haima blood

Example Sentences

Pigments made of minerals including hematite and rocks like lapis lazuli are ground into nanoparticles and suspended in silica, resembling “melted glass,” as Magaloni describes.

From Los Angeles Times

“Importantly, the new findings suggest a wetter and potentially more habitable past for Mars because ferrihydrite forms in the presence of cool water, and at lower temperatures than other previously considered minerals, like hematite.”

From Salon

With a microscope, the researchers also found a rust reddish pigment on the ornaments—likely cinnabar or hematite that were sprinkled or painted on the bodies of deceased royals as part of burial rites.

From Science Magazine

When the team analysed the dried-up powder, they found it contained hematite, "giving the paste a deep red colour".

From BBC

Researchers led by the University of Cambridge used a technique known as diamond quantum sensing to observe swirling textures and faint magnetic signals on the surface of hematite, a type of iron oxide.

From Science Daily