smithsonite

[ smith-suh-nahyt ]

/ ˈsmɪθ səˌnaɪt /

noun Mineralogy.

a native carbonate of zinc, ZnCO3, that is an important ore of the metal.

Nearby words

smithery, smithfield, smithfield ham, smithson, smithsonian institution, smithsonite, smithtown, smithy, smitten, smitty, smock

Origin of smithsonite

1825–35; named after J. Smithson (who distinguished it from calamine); see -ite¹

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

Examples from the Web for smithsonite

Smithsonite is a carbonate much resembling, and often found with, calamine.
The A B C of Mining|Charles A. Bramble
Zinc occurs in nature most commonly as sulphide (blende); it also occurs as carbonate (calamine) and silicate (smithsonite).
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer

British Dictionary definitions for smithsonite

smithsonite

/ (ˈsmɪθsəˌnaɪt) /

noun

a white mineral consisting of zinc carbonate in hexagonal crystalline form: occurs chiefly in dry limestone regions and is a source of zinc. Formula: ZnCO 3Also called (US): calamine

Word Origin for smithsonite

C19: named after James Smithson

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