mineral

[min-er-uh l, min-ruh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mineral ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

minerals, British. 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.

adjective

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.

Origin of mineral

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French, Old French mineral < Medieval Latin minerāle (noun), minerālis (adj.), equivalent to miner(a) mine, ore (< Old French miniere < Vulgar Latin *mināria; min- (see mine²) + Latin -āria -ary) + -āle, -ālis -al¹

Related formsnon·min·er·al, noun, adjectivesem·i·min·er·al, adjective

mineral.

mineralogical.

mineralogy.

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

Related Words for mineral

golden, silvery, alloy, ore, ingot, hardware, food, fiber, vitamin, metal, rubble, lava, earth, gravel, slab, crystal, grain, rock, gem, pebble

Examples from the Web for mineral

Contemporary Examples of mineral

Depending on the producer, Champagne can also be highly cloyingly sweet, buttery, or round, or mineral.
Champagne: You’re Drinking It All Wrong
Kayleigh Kulp
December 20, 2014
One more word about the mineral water industry in Marlin, Texas, and I was about to scream.
Slaves In A Family's Past Haunt The Present
Michael Signer
August 28, 2014
He enters a back room, sits at a round café table and sips from a bottle of mineral water.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou
John Ed Bradley
April 27, 2014
Mining and Mineral Engineering: 90% male And here are the 10 least remunerative majors—where women prevail in nine out of ten: 1.
No, Women Don’t Make Less Money Than Men
Christina Hoff Sommers
February 1, 2014
So far, it is science, not mineral stakes that motivates geologists like Ventura.
Atlantis Discovered?
Mac Margolis
May 10, 2013

Historical Examples of mineral

A mineral that gives off heat and stimulates the organ that a scientist is a fool with.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
The tale of the resources of California—vegetable and mineral—is a fairy-tale.
American Notes
Rudyard Kipling
The idea of anybody trying to hold our place for mineral land!
Good Indian
B. M. Bower
The five lowest levels were underground and all were labelled "Mineral Industries."
City of Endless Night
Milo Hastings
He was eating little, and drank only mineral water from a stone bottle.
Roden's Corner
Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for mineral

mineral

noun

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) British short for mineral water

British a soft drink containing carbonated water and flavouringsUsual US word: soda

adjective

of, relating to, containing, or resembling minerals

Word Origin for mineral

C15: from Medieval Latin minerāle (n), from minerālis (adj); related to minera mine, ore, of uncertain origin

mineral.

abbreviation for

mineralogy or mineralogical

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 mineral

late 14c., "substance obtained by mining," from Medieval Latin minerale "something mined," noun use of neuter of mineralis "pertaining to mines," from minera "mine." Meaning "material substance that is neither animal nor vegetable" is first recorded c.1600. Modern scientific sense is from 1813.

adj.

early 15c., "neither animal nor vegetable," from Old French mineral and directly from Medieval Latin mineralis (see mineral (n.)). Mineral water (early 15c.) originally was water found in nature with some mineral substance dissolved in it.

mineral in Medicine

mineral

[mĭn′ər-əl]

n.

A naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a definite chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure, color, and hardness.

An inorganic element, such as calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, or zinc, that is essential to the nutrition of humans, animals, and plants.

mineral in Science

mineral

[mĭn′ər-əl]

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.

mineral in Culture

mineral

In geology, a naturally occurring inorganic substance (see inorganic molecules) with a definite chemical composition and a regular internal structure.

Note

Most minerals are crystals, like salt and diamonds.

Note

Rocks are aggregates of minerals.