1. An inorganic species or substance occurring in nature, having a definite chemical composition and usually a distinct crystalline form. Rocks, except certain glassy igneous forms, are either simple minerals or aggregates of minerals.
2. A mine. [Obs.] Shak.
3. Anything which is neither animal nor vegetable, as in the most general classification of things into three kingdoms (animal, vegetable, and mineral).
MINERAL
Min"er*al, a.
1. Of or pertaining to minerals; consisting of a mineral or of minerals; as, a mineral substance.
2. Impregnated with minerals; as, mineral waters. Mineral acids
(Chem.), inorganic acids, as sulphuric, nitric, phosphoric,
hydrochloric, acids, etc., as distinguished from the organic acids.
— Mineral blue, the name usually given to azurite, when reduced to
an impalpable powder for coloring purposes.
— Mineral candle, a candle made of paraffine.
— Mineral caoutchouc, an elastic mineral pitch, a variety of
bitumen, resembling caoutchouc in elasticity and softness. See
Caoutchouc, and Elaterite.
— Mineral chameleon (Chem.) See Chameleon mineral, under Chameleon.
— Mineral charcoal. See under Charcoal.
— Mineral cotton. See Mineral wool (below).
— Mineral green, a green carbonate of copper; malachite.
— Mineral kingdom (Nat. Sci.), that one of the three grand
divisions of nature which embraces all inorganic objects, as
distinguished from plants or animals.
— Mineral oil. See Naphtha, and Petroleum.
— Mineral paint, a pigment made chiefly of some natural mineral
substance, as red or yellow iron ocher.
— Mineral patch. See Bitumen, and Asphalt.
— Mineral right, the right of taking minerals from land.
— Mineral salt (Chem.), a salt of a mineral acid.
— Mineral tallow, a familiar name for hatchettite, from its fatty
or spermaceti-like appearance.
— Mineral water. See under Water.
— Mineral wax. See Ozocerite.
— Mineral wool, a fibrous wool-like material, made by blowing a
powerful jet of air or steam through melted slag. It is a poor
conductor of heat.
MINERALIST
Min"er*al*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. minéraliste.]
Defn: One versed in minerals; mineralogist. [R.]
MINERALIZATION
Min`er*al*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. minéralisation.]
1. The process of mineralizing, or forming a mineral by combination of a metal with another element; also, the process of converting into a mineral, as a bone or a plant.