zircon
[ zur-kon ]
/ ˈzɜr kɒn /
noun
a common mineral, zirconium silicate, ZrSiO4, occurring in small tetragonal crystals or grains of various colors, usually opaque: used as a refractory when opaque and as a gem when transparent.
RELATED WORDS
jewel, gem, rhinestone, paragon, ice, lozenge, rock, corundum, rhombus, allotrope, solitaire, brilliant, bort, jager
Nearby words
- zipporah,
- zippy,
- ziram,
- zircalloy,
- zircaloy,
- zirconia,
- zirconic,
- zirconium,
- zirconium oxide,
- zirconyl
Origin of zircon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for zircon
zircon
/ (ˈzɜːkɒn) /
noun
a reddish-brown, grey, green, blue, or colourless hard mineral consisting of zirconium silicate in tetragonal crystalline form with hafnium and some rare earths as impurities. It occurs principally in igneous rocks and is an important source of zirconium, zirconia, and hafnia: it is used as a gemstone and a refractory. Formula: ZrSiO 4
Word Origin for zircon
C18: from German Zirkon, from French jargon, via Italian and Arabic, from Persian zargūn golden
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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zircon
1794, new name given in chemistry to jacinth, from German Zirkon (cf. French jargon, Italian giargone), from Arabic zarqun "cinnabar, bright red," from Persian zargun "gold-colored," from Avestan zari- "gold-colored," from zar "gold."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
zircon
[ zûr′kŏn′ ]
A brown, reddish to bluish, gray, green, or colorless tetragonal mineral that occurs in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, and especially in sand. The colorless varieties are valued as gems. Chemical formula: ZrSiO4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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