mineral
mineral definition
min·eral (min′ər əl, min′rəl)
noun
- an inorganic substance occurring naturally in the earth and having a consistent and distinctive set of physical properties (e.g., a usually crystalline structure, hardness, color, etc.) and a composition that can be expressed by a chemical formula: sometimes applied to substances in the earth of organic origin, such as coal
- ore
- any substance that is neither vegetable nor animal
- any element or inorganic compound needed by plants and animals for proper growth and functioning, as iron, phosphorus, or nitrate
- Brit.
- mineral water
- a flavored, carbonated soft drink
Etymology: OFr < ML minerale, neut. of mineralis, mineral < minera, ore < VL *mina, mine
adjective
of, like, consisting of, or containing a mineral or minerals
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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