columbite

[kuh-luhm-bahyt]

noun

1. a black, crystalline mineral, iron niobate, (Fe, Mn)Nb 2 O 6 , the principal ore of niobium, an end member of a series of solid solutions in which manganese and tantalum combine to form tantalite.

columbite

/ kəˈlʌmbaɪt /

noun

1. Also called: niobite. a black mineral consisting of a niobium oxide of iron and manganese in orthorhombic crystalline form: occurs in coarse granite, often with tantalite, and is an ore of niobium. Formula: (Fe, Mn)(Nb) 2 O 6

Word History and Origins

Origin of columbite¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; columb(ium) + -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of columbite¹

C19: from _columbium + _-ite ¹

Example Sentences

The region has a history of tin and columbite mining - abandoned mines mark the landscape.

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These elements occur in the minerals columbite and tantalite, and their compounds became known in the early part of the 19th century by the labours of C. Hatchett, A.G.

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They are probably present in the form of columbite, a niobate of iron and manganese; and tantalite, a tantalate of the same metals.

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