rutile

American  

[roo-teel, -tahyl] / ˈru til, -taɪl /

noun

1. a common mineral, titanium dioxide, TiO 2 , usually reddish-brown in color with a brilliant metallic or adamantine luster, occurring in crystals: used to coat welding rods.

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rutile British  

/ ˈruːtaɪl /

noun

1. a black, yellowish, or reddish-brown mineral, found in igneous rocks, metamorphosed limestones, and quartz veins. It is a source of titanium. Composition: titanium dioxide. Formula: TiO 2 . Crystal structure: tetragonal

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rutile Scientific  

/ ro̅o̅′tēl′,-tīl′ /

1. A lustrous red, reddish-brown, or black tetragonal mineral that is an ore of titanium. Rutile usually occurs as prismatic crystals in other minerals, especially as dark needlelike crystals in quartz. Chemical formula: TiO ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of rutile

1795–1805; < French < German Rutil < Latin rutilus red ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rutile

The surge in sales—which more than doubled on-quarter—is underpinned by zircon and synthetic rutile volumes, while rutile lagged, MS says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Cubic zirconia and rutile titania could meet demand in theory, but economic modeling by the Columbia team suggests production costs would skyrocket with increased demand.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2025

Australia is the world’s top producer of lithium and rutile and the second-largest producer of zircon and rare earth elements.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 22, 2022

Native gold, native platinum, zircon, ilmenite, rutile, magnetite, diamonds, and other gemstones can be found in placers.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Plans to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down   during an 11 year civil war have not been implemented due to lack of   foreign investment.

From The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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