nepheline

American  

[nef-uh-lin] / ˈnɛf ə lɪn /

Also nephelite

noun

1. a feldspathoid mineral, essentially sodium aluminum silicate, NaAlSiO 4 , occurring in alkali-rich volcanic rocks.

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nepheline British  

/ ˈnɛfɪlɪn, ˈnɛfɪˌlaɪt, -ˌliːn /

noun

1. a whitish mineral consisting of sodium potassium aluminium silicate in hexagonal crystalline form: used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Formula: (Na,K)(AlSi) 2 O 4

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Etymology

Origin of nepheline

1805–15; < French néphéline, equivalent to néphél- (< Greek nephélē cloud) + -ine -ine ²

Example Sentences

Mesotype and nepheline constitute, according to Girard, an important part in the composition and internal texture of basalt.

From COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1 by Humboldt, Alexander von

In Finland, melanite-bearing nepheline rocks have been found and described as Ijolite, but the only other locality for melanite-leucite-syenite is Magnet Cove in Arkansas.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3 "Borgia, Lucrezia" to "Bradford, John" by Various

This substance may be imperfectly crystallized nepheline, or a peculiar glass which is rich in soda.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various

Sections of nepheline crystals from the lava of 1767, 1834, and 1854.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Hull, Edward

Some writers held that this mineral has resulted from the decomposition of nepheline; others regard it as a primary mineral.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 6 "Dodwell" to "Drama" by Various