spinel

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a hard, glassy magnesium aluminium oxide mineral that crystallizes in the cubic system and occurs in many colors

   The specimen contained an octahedral spinel embedded in white marble.

2. 2
   noun

   a transparent gem variety of this mineral, especially a red, pink, blue, or violet stone

   The jeweler identified the crimson gem as spinel rather than ruby.

3. 3
   noun

   mineralogy and materials science: any mineral or synthetic crystalline material having the characteristic spinel structure

   Researchers produced a cobalt spinel for use as an electrode material.

Through French spinelle and Italian spinella, probably from Latin spina, 'thorn,' referring to the mineral's sharply pointed crystals. Red spinels were long mistaken for rubies; several famous historical 'rubies' were later identified as spinel.

Topics