Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
zinc sulfide

zinc sulfide

1 5.8
A white or yellow mineral used in glow paint and optical parts
  • noun
  • /zɪŋk sʌlfaɪd/
  • Specialized
: sulfuro de zinc
  • The glow of zinc sulfide crystals in the dark made the experiment visually stunning.

Examples

  • The artist used zinc sulfide in her paintings.

  • Natural zinc sulfide can be found in the mineral sphalerite.

  • Some luminous paints contain zinc sulfide to make them glow in the dark.

  • The screen glowed faintly due to the zinc sulfide coating applied to it.

  • Can you explain what zinc sulfide is?

  • The artist used zinc sulfide to create vibrant yellow hues in his paintings.

  • Researchers are studying the properties of zinc sulfide for its applications in optical materials.

Synonyms

sphalerite
vszinc sulfide
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A mineral that miners dig to get zinc

is the crystalline compound used for luminous pigments and optical materials
wurtzite
vszinc sulfide
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A brownish-black mineral made of zinc and sulfur that forms six-sided crystals and is mined for zinc

is the crystalline compound used as a luminous pigment and in optical devices
zinc blende
vszinc sulfide
  • Specialized
7.9

A mineral made mainly of zinc and sulfur that miners use to get zinc

is the same chemical compound used industrially for light and optics
blende
vszinc sulfide
  • Archaic
9.9

A dark mineral of zinc and sulfur used as the main source of zinc

is the pure crystalline material used in pigments and optical products

Surface Forms

zinc sulfide singular
zinc sulfides plural

Morphology

zinc + sulfide

The compound meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'zinc' (the metal) + 'sulfide' (a sulfur-containing anion/compound) yields a chemical compound of zinc and sulfur. This follows standard chemical naming patterns (metal + -ide) that are cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Zinc sulfide is a simple chemical name that tells you what it is: zinc, a metal, plus sulfide, from 'sulfur', form the compound. It often appears as a yellow or white mineral used in glow-in-the-dark paint and in screens, so the name helps you remember it is the zinc-and-sulfur substance that makes things shine.