willemite

[wil-uh-mahyt]

noun

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.

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for willemite

Historical Examples of willemite

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

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

Word Origin for willemite

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