Fluorspar

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A naturally occurring mineral that consists of calcium fluoride, which is widely applied in iron and steel production and other industrial applications
2. This mineral, composed of calcium fluoride, is prominently used in various sectors, including the production of aluminum and hydrofluoric acid
3. A mineral mainly made up of calcium fluoride, commonly utilized in the production of aluminum and as a flux in metal processing industries

Etymology: Fluorspar is a compound of two quite separate English words, and the second half is older than the first. "Fluor" comes from Latin "fluere," meaning "to flow," the same root behind "fluid." Miners and metallurgists valued the mineral because it lowers the melting point of ore and slag, so it helped the molten metal flow. The "-ite" that appears in its sibling name, fluorite, is the Greek-derived suffix used for minerals, passed through French and Latin. The "spar" half is much older and has nothing to do with flow. It comes from Middle Low German "spar," the root of the English word for a spar, a stout pole or beam. Old English "spærstān" (a spar-stone) was used for a crystalline, easily split mineral, and the same idea of a glittering, cleavable stone was carried into the name "spar" for a whole class of crystalline minerals. Over time the English name "sparstone" appeared, and it was later shortened and fused with "fluor" into the mineral name we use now.