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willemite

[wil-uh-mahyt]
noun
  1. a mineral, a zinc silicate, Zn2SiO4, sometimes containing manganese, occurring in prismatic crystals or granular masses, usually greenish, sometimes white, brown, or red: a minor ore of zinc.
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Origin of willemite

1835–45; named after King Willem I; see -ite1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for willemite

Historical Examples

  • In the New Jersey mines the zinc ores are the oxides zincite and willemite, and the zinc-iron oxide franklinite.

    The A B C of Mining

    Charles A. Bramble

British Dictionary definitions for willemite

willemite

noun
  1. a secondary mineral consisting of zinc silicate in hexagonal crystalline form. It is white, colourless, or coloured by impurities and is found in veins of zinc ore. Formula: Zn 2 SiO 4
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Word Origin

C19: from Dutch willemit, named after Willem I of the Netherlands (1772–1843)
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