gilsonite
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈɡɪl.sə.naɪt/
- Specialized
:
gilsonita
- There is not much else they can do to extinguish the still-smoking gilsonite, a black, glossy hydrocarbon resin that has been mined for more than a century along the Utah-Colorado line near Bonanza.
Examples
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The company uses gilsonite for producing high-quality inks that adhere well to surfaces.
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American Gilsonite Co. mines the seams and sells its related products around the world.
Blog text (19) -
Also called uintaite, gilsonite has presented some unusual problems for firefighters.
Blog text (19) -
In 1888, gilsonite was also discovered on the Uncompahgre Reservation.
Academic text (2016) -
In 1885, deposits of gilsonite and gypsum asphalt were discovered on the Uintah Reservation.
Academic text (2016) -
"Those gilsonite mines could smolder for months and months," said Kelsey Birchell, a fire information officer for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Vernal.
Blog text (19) -
Firefighters have doused the fires that have blackened thousands of acres of Utah wildlands this year, but one they have left smoldering is in gilsonite mines in eastern Utah.
Blog text (19) -
Due to its durability, gilsonite is a preferred material for road paving in various industries.
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Manufacturers appreciate gilsonite for its unique properties, making it valuable in sealants.
Synonyms
A natural thick black oil found in the ground and in lakes
Surface Forms
Morphology
gilsonite = Gilson (opaque) = gilson + ite
The suffix '-ite' signals a mineral or product, but the base 'Gilson' is a proper name with no lexical meaning for typical learners, so the compound does not transparently convey the substance's meaning.
Etymology
Gilsonite comes from the name Gilson, an early miner and seller who worked with a shiny, black natural material found in the western United States. So, think of gilsonite as 'Gilson's asphalt', a hard form of 'tar' used in roads and inks.