cassiterite

American

[kuh-sit-uh-rahyt] / kəˈsɪt əˌraɪt /

noun

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

cassiterite British

/ kəˈsɪtəˌraɪt /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of cassiterite

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cassiterite, wolframite, coltan: they might be the spoiled offspring of celebrity parents, or characters from an unfamiliar fairytale.

From The Guardian • Aug. 27, 2010

Cassiterite is the main component of tin oxide.

From The Guardian • Aug. 27, 2010

Cassiterite usually occurs as veins or impregnations in granitic rocks, and is especially associated with the quartz-mica rock called greisen.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various

Cassiterite occurs as a pseudomorph after orthoclase felspar in some of the altered granite of Cornwall, and it has occasionally been found as a cementing material in certain brecciated lodes.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various

Cassiterite is practically insoluble and is very resistant to decomposition by weathering.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023