mineraloid

American

[min-er-uh-loid] / ˈmɪn ər əˌlɔɪd /

noun

a mineral substance that does not have a definite chemical formula or crystal form.

Etymology

Origin of mineraloid

First recorded in 1910–15; mineral + -oid

Example Sentences

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mineraloid

Opal is a mineraloid, because although it has all of the other properties of a mineral, it does not have a specific structure.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023