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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of sphene

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sphene

Among these were the Siberian and Brazilian topaz, borate of magnesia, mesotype, sphene, and calamine.

From Catholic Churchmen in Science by James J. Walsh

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

Reddish grains of sphene or of garnet are occasionally visible.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

A banded and mottled calc-silicate hornfels occurring with the limestone at Iyerry Falls, W. N.W. of Braemar, has yielded malacolite, wollastonite, brown idocrase, garnet, sphene and hornblende.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

The iron oxides, originally ilmenite, are usually altered to sphene.

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