sphene

American  

[sfeen] / sfin /

noun

1. a mineral, calcium titanium silicate, CaTiSiO 5 , occurring as an accessory mineral in a variety of crystalline rocks, usually in small wedge-shaped crystals.

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sphene British  

/ sfiːn /

noun

1. Also called: titanite.  a brown, yellow, green, or grey lustrous mineral consisting of calcium titanium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form. It occurs in metamorphic and acid igneous rocks and is used as a gemstone. Formula: CaTiSiO 5

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sphene Scientific  

/ sfēn /

1. A brown or yellow monoclinic mineral occurring as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It usually occurs as wedge or lozenge-shaped crystals. Chemical formula: CaTiSiO ₅.

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Etymology

Origin of sphene

First recorded in 1805–15, sphene is from the Greek word sphḗn wedge

Example Sentences

EPIDIORITE, in petrology, a typical member of a family of rocks consisting essentially of hornblende and felspar, often with epidote, garnet, sphene, biotite, or quartz, and having usually a foliated structure.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6 "English Language" to "Epsom Salts" by Various

The rarer stones, sphene and epidote, likewise exhibit this property markedly.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Wade, Frank Bertram

Most gem-stones are harder than quartz, though precious opal, turquoise, moonstone and sphene are inferior to it in hardness.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various

Apatite, iron oxides and zircon are almost invariably present; sphene, garnet and orthite are occasionally observed; calcite, chlorite, muscovite, kaolin, epidote and bastite are secondary.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various