gahnite

[ gah-nahyt ]

noun

1. a dark-green to black mineral of the spinel group, zinc aluminate, ZnAl 2 O 4 .

gahnite

/ ˈɡɑːnaɪt /

noun

1. a dark green mineral of the spinel group consisting of zinc aluminium oxide. Formula: ZnAl 2 O 4

Word History and Origins

Origin of gahnite¹

1800–10; named after J. G. Gahn (1745–1818), Swedish chemist; -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gahnite¹

C19: named after J. G. Gahn (1745–1818), Swedish chemist; see -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Spinel, spin′el, or spi-nel′, n. a mineral composed chiefly of magnesia and alumina, and crystallising in octahedra—ruby, or magnesia spinel, reddish; pleonaste, dark green to black; picotite, or chrome spinel, black; gahnite, or zinc spinel, green to brown; hercynite, or iron spinel, black.

From Project Gutenberg

Associated with franklinite at Franklin Furnace, and found also at some other localities, is another member of the spinel group, namely, gahnite or zinc-spinel, which is a zinc aluminate, ZnAl2O4, with a little of the zinc replaced by iron and manganese.

From Project Gutenberg