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

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

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

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

From Catholic Churchmen in Science by Walsh, James J.

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

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