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mineral wool

mineral wool

5.1
A light material of thin rock or glass fibers that stops heat moving and reduces sound
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪnərəl wʊl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lana mineral
  • Glass wool or mineral wool would be best in a humid environment.

Examples

  • The contractor recommended using mineral wool for soundproofing the studio.

  • Using mineral wool in construction can significantly improve thermal insulation.

  • Spray foam, cellulose, and mineral wool can all be installed with gaps, compression, and incompletely filled areas, and they can all be installed well.

    Blog text (5)
  • It doesn't matter whether you use fiberglass batts, blown fiberglass, cellulose, spray foam, mineral wool, or something else.

    Blog text (5)
  • For energy efficiency, many builders now prefer mineral wool insulation in walls and ceilings.

Synonyms

rock wool
vsmineral wool
  • Specialized
4.9

A light, fluffy material made from melted rock used to keep buildings warm and safe from fire

uses various natural substances rather than being made specifically from molten rock

How Insulating

foam
74 2.6
mineral wool
  • Specialized
5.1
fiberglass
  • US
32 4.7
batting
  • Specialized
5 4.2

Surface Forms

mineral wool singular
mineral wools plural

Morphology

mineral + wool

The meaning — a wool-like fibrous material made from minerals — is directly derivable from combining 'mineral' (made of inorganic substances) with 'wool' (a fibrous material). The compound follows a straightforward compositional pattern (a type of 'wool'), and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely infer the intended insulating material.

Etymology

Mineral wool comes from a simple image: fibres that look like wool but are made from minerals, created by heating rock and pulling it into thin threads. Because these tangled fibres trap air like sheep's wool, mineral wool is used as 'insulation' to keep buildings warm and quiet.