Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
copper glance

copper glance

9.9
A heavy grey mineral with a metallic shine that is mined for copper
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : glance de cobre
  • Early miners often recognized copper glance by its metallic luster and grey color, which indicated its potential as an ore.

Examples

  • The geologists discovered a vein of copper glance in the mountain.

  • Pure copper glance is a valuable source of copper for the mining industry.

  • Early miners often recognized copper glance by its metallic luster and grey color.

  • The geologist discovered a large deposit of copper glance.

  • Many miners seek copper glance for its valuable properties.

  • The geologists discovered a vein of copper glance while surveying the mountain for valuable minerals.

  • Pure copper glance is often extracted from the earth and processed for its copper content.

Synonyms

chalcocite
vscopper glance
  • Specialized
9.9

A heavy gray mineral that contains copper and is mined for copper

is the same mineral but expressed with a different name

Surface Forms

copper glance singular
copper glances plural

Morphology

copper + glance

Although 'copper' is transparent, the usual B1 meaning of 'glance' ('a quick look') does not combine to produce the sense of a mineral or ore. Here 'glance' is a specialized/archaic sense (from German 'glanz' meaning 'lustre') used in mineral names, so a learner who knows the common meanings would not be able to derive 'a copper ore' from the constituents.

Etymology

Copper glance may come from how old miners saw the rock: the dark stone would flash a bright metal glance of copper when light hit it. So the name came to mean a heavy, grey mineral that is a 'source of copper'.