fluorspar

9.9

A mineral that often glows under ultraviolet light and is used in industry

noun
/ˈflʊərˌspɑr/

Specialized

: fluorita

Many miners extract fluorspar from the earth.

Examples

China is the world's largest producer of fluorspar.
The mine is rich in fluorspar, which is processed for use in industry.
Under ultraviolet light, fluorspar emits a distinctive glow.
The fluorspar was found in a cave.
Fluorspar is essential in various industries, including aluminum and ceramics, due to its properties as a fluorspar.
The bright blue color of the fluorspar crystal made it a popular choice for decorative pieces.
In geology classes, we studied fluorspar as a key mineral that contains calcium fluoride.

Synonyms

fluorite

vsfluorspar

Specialized

1 8.3

A soft mineral that often forms colored cubic crystals and glows under ultraviolet light

emphasizes being the chief source of fluorine rather than crystal shape

fluor

vsfluorspar

Specialized

1 9.9

A soft mineral that glows blue or violet under ultraviolet light and supplies fluorine for industry

uses chief source phrasing instead of saying main source

Surface Forms

fluorspar singular

fluorspars plural

Morphology

fluorspar = fluor + spar (semi-transparent) = fluor + spar

The compound combines 'fluor' (relating to fluorine/fluoride) and 'spar' (a mineral), which makes the construction clear, but the term is a technical mineral name and 'fluor' is a specialised combining form.

Etymology

Fluorspar comes from two parts: fluor, from a word meaning 'to flow' (seen in fluorescent), and spar, a miner's word for a clear crystal like feldspar. So fluorspar is a mineral that often 'glows' under light and was used to help metals flow, which is why it is the main source of fluorine today.