sphene

[ sfeen ]

noun

1. a mineral, calcium titanium silicate, CaTiSiO 5 , occurring as an accessory mineral in a variety of crystalline rocks, usually in small wedge-shaped crystals.

sphene

/ sfiːn /

noun

1. a brown, yellow, green, or grey lustrous mineral consisting of calcium titanium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form. It occurs in metamorphic and acid igneous rocks and is used as a gemstone. Formula: CaTiSiO 5 Also calledtitanite

sphene

/ sfēn /

1. A brown or yellow monoclinic mineral occurring as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It usually occurs as wedge or lozenge-shaped crystals. Chemical formula: CaTiSiO 5 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of sphene¹

First recorded in 1805–15, sphene is from the Greek word sphḗn wedge

Word History and Origins

Origin of sphene¹

C19: from French sphène, from Greek sphēn a wedge, alluding to its crystals

Example Sentences

The purer beds recrystallize as marbles, but where there has been originally an admixture of sand or clay lime-bearing silicates are formed, such as diopside, epidote, garnet, sphene, vesuvianite, scapolite; with these phlogopite, various felspars, pyrites, quartz and actinolite often occur.

From Project Gutenberg

Sphene, biotite and iron oxides are the other common constituents, but these rocks show much variety of composition and structure.

From Project Gutenberg

Tī′tanite, or Sphene, a soft greenish mineral often present in syenite.

From Project Gutenberg

Lig′urite, a variety of sphene or titanite.

From Project Gutenberg

Among other minerals found in them are biotite and chlorite, tourmaline, epidote, apatite, garnet, hornblende and augite, sphene, pyrites.

From Project Gutenberg