hematite

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

noun

a very common mineral, iron oxide, Fe2O3, occurring in steel-gray to black crystals and in red earthy masses: the principal ore of iron.

Origin of hematite

1535–45; < Latin haematītes bloodstone < Greek haimatī́tēs (lithós) bloodlike (stone). See hemat-, -ite¹

Related formshe·ma·tit·ic

[hee-muh-tit-ik, hem-uh-] /ˌhi məˈtɪt ɪk, ˌhɛm ə-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hematite

Historical Examples of hematite

There is also a small amount of hematite, pyroxene and sericite.
The Long Labrador Trail
Dillon Wallace
It is a very valuable ore, but is less abundant than hematite.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry
William McPherson
The or-moulu colouring is a mixture of hematite, alum, and sea salt.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines
Andrew Ure
The streak of limonite is yellow, thus distinguishing it from hematite.
Birds and all Nature, Vol. VI, No. 4, November 1899
Various
General Lomet uses a similar mixture to work up the softest varieties of hematite, with which he thus forms superior red crayon.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for hematite

hematite

haematite (ˈhɛmətaɪt, ˈhiːm-)

noun

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)Also called: iron glance

Derived Formshematitic or haematitic (ˌhɛməˈtɪtɪk, ˌhiː-), adjective

Word Origin for hematite

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

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 hematite

1540s, haematites, from Middle French hematite (16c.), from Latin haematites, from Greek haimatites lithos "bloodlike stone," from haima (genitive haimatos) "blood" (see -emia). Earlier as emachite (late 14c.).

hematite in Science

hematite

[hē′mə-tīt′]

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: Fe2O3.