mineral
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
mineral/ˈmɪnərəl/
▶noun
- 1 a solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.
■ a substance obtained by mining.
■ an inorganic substance needed by the human body for good health.
- 2 (minerals) Brit. effervescent soft drinks.
– origin ME: from med. L. minerale, neut. (used as n.) of mineralis, from minera ‘ore’.
'mineral' also found in these Oxford entries:
achondrite
- actinolite
- adamant
- agate
- alabaster
- albite
- alexandrite
- alkalic
- alkali feldspar
- allanite
- almandine
- aluminosilicate
- amethyst
- amianthus
- amosite
- amphibole
- andalusite
- anhydrite
- anorthite
- anthracite
- antigorite
- apatite
- aquamarine
- aragonite
- arsenopyrite
- asbestos
- ash
- augite
- autunite
- aventurine
- azurite
- baby oil
- balas ruby
- balneotherapy
- barite
- baryte
- bauxite
- bentonite
- beryl
- biotite
- blende
- bloodstone
- Blue John
- bog iron
- bone ash
- borax
- bort
- brucite
- cairngorm
- calcite
