gypsum

[ jip-suhm ]

noun

1. a very common mineral, hydrated calcium sulfate, CaSO 4 ⋅2H 2 O, occurring in crystals and in masses, soft enough to be scratched by the fingernail: used to make plaster of Paris, as an ornamental material, as a fertilizer, etc.

gypsum

/ ˈdʒɪpsəm; dʒɪpˈsɪfərəs; ˈdʒɪpsɪəs /

noun

1. a colourless or white mineral sometimes tinted by impurities, found in beds as an evaporite. It is used in the manufacture of plaster of Paris, cement, paint, school chalk, glass, and fertilizer. Composition: hydrated calcium sulphate. Formula: CaSO 4 .2H 2 O. Crystal structure: monoclinic

gypsum

/ jĭp′səm /

1. A colorless, white, or pinkish mineral. Gypsum occurs as individual blade-shaped crystals or as massive beds in sedimentary rocks, especially those formed through the evaporation of saline-rich water. It is used in manufacturing plasterboard, cement, and fertilizers. Chemical formula: CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O.

Derived Forms

• gypsiferous, adjective
• gypseous, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gypsum¹

1640–50; < Latin: chalk < Greek gýpsos chalk, gypsum

Word History and Origins

Origin of gypsum¹

C17: from Latin, from Greek gupsos chalk, plaster, cement, of Semitic origin

Example Sentences

A runaway freighter full of gypsum rammed a steel bridge, but the cause was crew inattention, not mechanical like Baltimore.

From Seattle Times

"This data shows us that that's not the case, that during a very dry period in the past 10,000 years, we actually saw a lot of erosion and then the accumulation of gypsum sand. And as the climate was becoming cooler and wetter, then the salt began to accumulate."

From Science Daily

Gypsum and carbonate strontium isotope ratio measurements were used to determine sources of water that carried the sediments to the salt flats.

From Science Daily

Whether you’re cruising through dunes of white gypsum on a mountain bike in New Mexico or lounging poolside with an umbrella beverage next to a pink flamingo in Palm Springs, these vacations will leave you revived and ready to face part two of winter.

From Seattle Times

White Sands National Park, about an hour’s drive from Las Cruces and four hours from the capital, lets you wander 250-plus square miles of white gypsum sand dunes on foot or by bike — year-round.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• adhesive
• cement
• glue
• lime
• mortar
• stucco