spessartite

[ spes-er-tahyt ]

/ ˈspɛs ərˌtaɪt /

noun

Mineralogy. a yellow or red manganese-aluminum garnet, used as a semiprecious gem.

Nearby words

sperrin mountains, sperry, sperry, elmer ambrose, sperry, roger wolcott, sperrylite, spessartite, speug, spew, spey, speyer, spezia

Origin of spessartite

1885–90; named after Spessart, a district in Bavaria, where it is found; see -ite¹

Also called spes·sart·ine

[spes-er-teen, -tin] /ˈspɛs ərˌtin, -tɪn/.

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

British Dictionary definitions for spessartite

spessartite

spessartine

/ (ˈspɛsəˌtaɪt) /

noun

a brownish red garnet that consists of manganese aluminium silicate and is used as a gemstone. Formula: Mn 3 Al 2 (SiO 4) 3

Word Origin for spessartite

C19: named after Spessart, mountain range in Germany

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