cassiterite

[kuh-sit-uh-rahyt]

noun

1. a brown or black mineral, tin dioxide, SnO 2 , that crystallizes in the tetragonal system; tinstone: the principal ore of tin.

cassiterite

/ kəˈsɪtəˌraɪt /

noun

1. Also called: tinstone. a black or brown mineral, found in igneous rocks and hydrothermal veins. It is a source of tin. Composition: tin oxide. Formula: SnO 2 . Crystal structure: tetragonal

Word History and Origins

Origin of cassiterite¹

1855–60; < Greek kassíter ( os ) tin + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cassiterite¹

C19: from Greek kassiteros tin

Example Sentences

On the recent trip into the forest, they found a recently abandoned gold mine and the active mine harvesting cassiterite, the main ore to make tin.

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Miner digs in the runoff from an artisanal cassiterite and coltan mine near Numbi in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on April 7th, 2017.

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Regardless of the method, searching for gold and other minerals like cassiterite and niobium is dirty, dangerous and often illegal.

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The ore is cassiterite and this is usually found in volcanic rocks like granite.

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It is also rich in resources - gold, diamonds, cassiterite and coltan, used in mobile phones.

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