monomineral
|mo-no-mi-ner-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌmoʊ.noʊˈmɪn.ə.rəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɒn.əˈmɪn.ər.əl/
made of one mineral
Etymology
'monomineral' originates from Greek and Latin, specifically the Greek prefix 'mono-' from 'monos' meaning 'single', combined with Latin 'minerale' (via Old French 'minéral') meaning 'mineral (substance from a mine)'.
'monomineral' developed as a scientific compound by combining the Greek prefix 'mono-' with the established word 'mineral' in modern geological usage; it entered technical English usage in the 19th–20th century and became the established term 'monomineral'.
Initially it meant 'made of a single mineral' in technical descriptions, and it has retained that specific meaning in modern geological and mineralogical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rock, grain assemblage, or sample that is composed of a single mineral species.
This monomineral was isolated to study the properties of that mineral alone.
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Adjective 1
composed of or consisting of a single mineral (used especially of rocks or aggregates).
The sample is monomineral, consisting entirely of olivine.
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Last updated: 2025/10/06 05:13