single-mineral
|sin-gle-min-er-al|
🇺🇸
/ˈsɪŋɡəl ˈmɪnərəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈsɪŋɡəl ˈmɪn(ə)rəl/
made of one mineral
Etymology
'single-mineral' is a modern English compound formed from 'single' + 'mineral', where 'single' means 'one, alone' and 'mineral' refers to a naturally occurring inorganic substance.
'single' ultimately derives from Latin 'singulus' via Old French/ Middle English, meaning 'one'; 'mineral' comes from Late Latin 'minerale' (from Latin related to 'minera' or 'miner-'), meaning material from a mine. The compound itself is a straightforward modern technical formation combining the two words.
Initially the components meant 'one' and 'mineral' respectively; the compound has the specific, technical meaning 'made of a single mineral' and has remained a literal descriptive term.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a specimen, rock, or deposit that is composed predominantly of a single mineral species.
That sample is a single-mineral and therefore useful for studying the properties of that mineral alone.
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Adjective 1
composed of or consisting entirely of one mineral species (e.g., a single-mineral rock or sample).
The thin section proved to be single-mineral, made almost entirely of quartz.
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Last updated: 2025/10/06 05:24