Micromineral

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mineral element needed by living organisms in trace amounts for proper growth and metabolic function
2. An inorganic substance essential to health and development but consumed and stored by the body in minute quantities
3. A mineral nutrient required in only small concentrations to maintain normal physiological processes and biological activity

Etymology: "Micromineral" is a plain compound: "micro-", from Greek "mikros" meaning "small," joined to "mineral." Its parts carry their meanings straightforwardly, so the word describes a mineral needed by the body only in tiny amounts, in contrast to the bulk minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. The "mineral" half has a longer story than the prefix. It comes from medieval Latin "minerale," used for substances dug from the earth, and it passed into English through French. The prefix, by contrast, is a modern productive element that English speakers attach to many words to mean "very small" or "on a small scale."