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Glite Dictionary
zinc spar

zinc spar

9.9
A pale mineral often mined to make the metal zinc
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : spar de zinc
  • The geologist found a piece of zinc spar in the rock formation.

Examples

  • Miners extracted zinc spar from the quarry to be processed for zinc.

  • The museum displayed a rare specimen of zinc spar among other mineral samples.

  • Collectors prize zinc spar for its attractive crystal formations and range of colors.

  • Many miners extract zinc spar for its valuable zinc content.

  • Collectors prize zinc spar for its attractive crystal formations and vibrant colors.

  • Miners extracted zinc spar from the quarry to be processed into usable zinc.

  • The museum displayed a stunning piece of zinc spar alongside various other minerals.

Synonyms

smithsonite
vszinc spar
  • Specialized
9.9

A mineral that people use to get zinc metal

is the identical mineral term presented as an alternative name

Surface Forms

zinc spar singular
zinc spars plural

Morphology

zinc + spar

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'zinc' specifies the type of 'spar' (a cleavable mineral), so the meaning 'a spar/mineral containing zinc' is directly derivable from the constituents. Mineral-naming by composition is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the referent (e.g., smithsonite).

Etymology

The name zinc spar comes from the words zinc (the metal it contains) and spar (an old word for a shiny crystal or rock). So the name creates a clear image — a shiny mineral with zinc, which is why it was used as an 'ore' to get zinc.