spodumene

[ spoj-oo-meen ]

/ ˈspɒdʒ ʊˌmin /

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noun

a mineral, lithium aluminum silicate, LiAlSi2O6, occurring in prismatic crystals, transparent varieties being used as gems.

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Origin of spodumene

1795–1805; <French spodumène<German Spodumen<Greek spodoúmenos, present participle of spodoûsthai to be burned to ashes (derivative of spodós wood ash)

Words nearby spodumene

spluttery, Spock, spod, Spode, spodosol, spodumene, Spohr, spoil, spoilage, spoil bank, spoiled

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spodumene in a sentence

The stone was said to be spodumene, of a very high class, and had a a lilac tint theretofore unknown.
The Heritage of the Hills|Arthur P. Hankins
Spodumene gems always are found in pockets in the rock, and they are always hidden in wet clay in these pockets.
The Heritage of the Hills|Arthur P. Hankins
In 1881 J. Lawrence Smith proved it to be spodumene, and named it.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4|Various
After quartz come corundum (Oriental amethyst), spinel (almandine spinel), garnet (almandine), and spodumene (variety kunzite).
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public|Frank Bertram Wade

Purple spodumene (kunzite) is pinkish to lilac in shade—usually pale, unless in large masses, and it shows very marked dichroism.
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public|Frank Bertram Wade

British Dictionary definitions for spodumene

spodumene

/ (ˈspɒdjʊˌmiːn) /

noun

a greyish-white, green, or lilac pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form. It is an important ore of lithium and is used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics and as a gemstone. Formula: LiAlSi 2 O 6

Word Origin for spodumene

C19: from French spodumène, from German Spodumen, from Greek spodoumenos, from spodousthai to be burnt to ashes, from spodos wood ash

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