Spinel Meaning
/spɪˈnɛl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of several hard minerals of cubic symmetry that are mixed oxides of magnesium and aluminium and are used as gemstones of various colours.
nounAny crystalline material, not necessarily an oxide, that possesses the same crystal structure as this mineral.
Sentence Examples
The garnets in the detritus are accompanied by zircon, spinel, corundum, cyanite, tourmaline, olivine, etc.
The jeweler set a rare red spinel into the gold ring.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The jeweler examined the red ____ under the light to check if it was a ruby.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The gemstone ____ is often mistaken for ruby or sapphire because of its similar and beautiful colors.
Word Origin & History
French spinelle, perhaps from Latin spina (“a thorn, a prickle”), in allusion to its pointed crystals.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)"
— 2012 March 26, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012, page 128:
"339, 612 yards of dimities, muslinets, jaconets, and booked muslins, from rod. to 20s. per yard, and, 4000. spinels of thread and yarn, were bleached by him in 1791, and 45 people were employed in the work."
— 1795, Sir John Sinclair, The Statistical Account of Scotland: Drawn Up from the Communications of the Ministers of the Different Parishes. By Sir John Sinclair, ..., page 70:
"... that is fit for any hundred of the reed; and like- wise the number of right telled yarn in spinels, slips, and cuts, that will be sufficient to make any number of ells from 1 to 60, subject, and merely consisted of tables or ready[…]"
— 1876, English Mechanic and Mirror of Science and Art, page 417:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The jeweler examined the red ____ under the light to check if it was a ruby.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The gemstone ____ is often mistaken for ruby or sapphire because of its similar and beautiful colors.