sphalerite

[sfal-uh-rahyt, sfey-luh-]

noun

a very common mineral, zinc sulfide, ZnS, usually containing some iron and a little cadmium, occurring in yellow, brown, or black crystals or cleavable masses with resinous luster: the principal ore of zinc and cadmium; blackjack.

Origin of sphalerite

1865–70; < Greek sphaler(ós) slippery, deceptive + -ite¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sphalerite

Historical Examples of sphalerite

The most important mineral of zinc is the sulphide, sphalerite or "zinc blende."
The Economic Aspect of Geology
C. K. Leith
In the Missouri region, on the other hand, sphalerite and blende are the typical ores.
The A B C of Mining
Charles A. Bramble
Sphalerite is a fairly common and widespread mineral, occurring nearly always in veins in most kinds of rocks.
Geology
William J. Miller

British Dictionary definitions for sphalerite

sphalerite

noun

a yellow to brownish-black mineral consisting of zinc sulphide in cubic crystalline form with varying amounts of iron, manganese, cadmium, gallium, and indium: the chief source of zinc. Formula: ZnSAlso called: zinc blende

Word Origin for sphalerite

C19: from Greek sphaleros deceitful, from sphallein to cause to stumble

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

sphalerite in Science

sphalerite

[sfăl′ə-rīt′]

A usually yellow-brown or brownish-black cubic mineral occurring either as single dodecahedral crystals or as granular masses. It often contains cadmium, arsenic, or manganese and has a distinct rotten egg odor. It is often found in association with the mineral galena and is the primary ore of zinc. Chemical formula: ZnS.