mineraloidn.
/ˈmɪn(ə)rəlɔɪd/, /ˈmɪn(ə)rl̩ɔɪd/, U.S. /ˈmɪn(ə)rəˌlɔɪd/ Mineralogy.
A naturally occurring substance which differs from a true mineral in some respect, esp. in having an amorphous rather than a crystalline structure.
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the world > the earth > minerals > [noun] > mineral substance
mineral?a1425
body1594
fossil1606
mineraloid1913
1913 A. F. Rogers in Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 52 608 The question of names for colloidal or amorphous minerals arises... Niedzwiedzki has proposed the term mineraloid for the natural amorphous substances.
1917 Jrnl. Geol. (Chicago) 25 526 Lechateliérite is a glass and may be considered along with other natural glasses as a mineraloid.
1917 Jrnl. Geol. (Chicago) 25 540 The hydrocarbons may be included under Niedzwiedski's term mineraloid. As Niedzwiedski used this term for all naturally occurring amorphous substances, this changes somewhat the original definition of mineraloid. Such substances as opal, cliachite, limonite, collophane, halloysite, etc., are definite enough to be called minerals even though they are amorphous. The term ‘mineraloid’ seems appropriate for the less definite mineral-like substances.
1951 Amer. Mineralogist 36 614 Although Cornu did nothing to establish the name ‘jordisite’, the occurrence in Oregon should confirm the name as a valid one for the mineraloid.
1990 Ore Geol. Rev. 5 416/1 The most significant difference between unmineralized and mineralized limestone is the presence of a..black mineraloid in the gold-bearing ore.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1913