galena

[guh-lee-nuh]

See more synonyms for galena on Thesaurus.com

noun

a common, heavy mineral, lead sulfide, PbS, occurring in lead-gray crystals, usually cubes, and cleavable masses: the principal ore of lead.

Origin of galena

1595–1605; < Latin: lead ore

Also called ga·le·nite

[guh-lee-nahyt] /gəˈli naɪt/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for galena

lead, galena, pewter, plumbic, plumbiferous, plumbous

Examples from the Web for galena

Historical Examples of galena

They proved to be a miner who had gone from Galena and a stout lad.
Old Fort Snelling
Marcus L. Hansen
We took a steamer from Galena to Stillwater, as everyone did in those days.
Old Rail Fence Corners
Various
We drove in wagons with boards across for seats from Milwaukee to Galena.
Old Rail Fence Corners
Various
About Dubuque, opposite Galena, are extensive and rich lead mines.
A New Guide for Emigrants to the West
J. M. Peck
The Galena was managed and fought with great skill and daring.
Life of Rear Admiral John Randolph Tucker
James Henry Rochelle

British Dictionary definitions for galena

galena

galenite (ɡəˈliːnaɪt)

noun

a grey mineral, found in hydrothermal veins. It is the chief source of lead. Composition: lead sulphide. Formula: PbS. Crystal structure: cubic

Word Origin for galena

C17: from Latin: lead ore, dross left after melting lead

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

Word Origin and History for galena

lead ore, lead sulphide, c.1600, from Latin galena "mix of silver and lead; dross from smelting lead," of unknown origin.

galena in Science

galena

[gə-lē′nə]

A gray, metallic mineral occurring in cube-shaped crystals within veins of igneous rock or in sedimentary rocks. It is the main ore of lead. Chemical formula: PbS.