any of a class of substances occurring in nature, usually comprising inorganic substances, as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and usually of definite crystal structure, but sometimes also including rocks formed by these substances as well as certain natural products of organic origin, as asphalt or coal.
a substance obtained by mining, as ore.
(loosely) any substance that is neither animal nor vegetable.
British. minerals, mineral water.
Nutrition. any of the inorganic elements, as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, or sodium, that are essential to the functioning of the human body and are obtained from foods.
of the nature of a mineral; pertaining to a mineral or minerals.
containing or impregnated with a mineral or minerals.
neither animal nor vegetable; inorganic.
mineral matter.
mineralogical.
mineralogy.
any of a class of naturally occurring solid inorganic substances with a characteristic crystalline form and a homogeneous chemical composition
any inorganic matter
any substance obtained by mining, esp a metal ore
(often plural) short for mineral water
Usual US word: soda. a soft drink containing carbonated water and flavourings
A naturally occurring, solid, inorganic element or compound having a uniform composition and a regularly repeating internal structure. Minerals typically have a characteristic hardness and color, or range of colors, by which they can be recognized. Rocks are made up of minerals.
A natural substance of commercial value, such as iron ore, coal, or petroleum, that is obtained by mining, quarrying, or drilling.
Rocks are aggregates of minerals.
Most minerals are crystals, like salt and diamonds.
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, Old French mineral, from Medieval Latin minerāle (noun), minerālis (adjective), from miner(a) “mine, ore,” (from Vulgar Latin mināria (unrecorded); equivalent to mine 2 + -ary ) + -āle, -ālis -al 1
A mineral is a nonliving natural substance of a definite chemical composition. A mineral like manganese may help keep you healthy; a mineral like a diamond may help keep you sparkly. At one time mineral referred to valuable substances obtained in mines. Although that still can be the case, today the word has several senses (both noun and adjective) and may be found almost anywhere — in the ground, in the air, or on the periodic table. And if you remember mineral when you remember animal and vegetable, you’ve got a better chance of winning Twenty Questions.
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The structure of the rock matters as well, particularly whether water can move through it and reach fresh mineral surfaces.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
The US is Canada's top destination for overall mineral exports, another point where Ottawa could apply pressure.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The retreat in the wholesale industry was largely driven by falling sales of agricultural supplies and mineral, ore and precious metals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
According to Canadian media reports, those include commitments on defense procurement and critical mineral supply.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The patroon reserved all water and mineral rights.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
“And you know what an animal is — it’s not a vegetable or a mineral. It’s a body, and you know what I’m talking about.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2023
Nestle will sell its mainstream vitamins, supplements and minerals business to Yellow Wood Partners, the latest move to tighten its portfolio and focus on core categories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Elsewhere along Wemmer Pan Road are cracks and sinkholes from underground blasting by irregular miners digging under the city for gold and other minerals.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
That can happen when minerals and rock structures become aligned.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Ford, meanwhile, has threatened to stop exporting critical minerals to the U.S. or to raise the price of the electricity that Michigan, Minnesota, and New York import from Ontario.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
All that grinding of rocky minerals created great clouds of toxic dust, which streamed away on the currents.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
