Scheelite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A naturally occurring mineral composed of calcium tungstate that is valued as a major ore source of tungsten
2. A crystalline mineral form of calcium tungstate found in igneous and metamorphic rocks, prized for extracting tungsten
3. An ore mineral made of calcium and tungsten in combination, commonly used industrially to obtain tungsten metal

Etymology: Scheelite is a mineral, and its name honours a chemist who never saw it under that name. Karl Wilhelm Scheele, the Swedish chemist (1742–1786), identified tungstic acid in 1781, and the element tungsten takes its name partly from the same mineral tradition. The mineral that bears his name was later recognised as a tungsten ore, and mineralogists gave it the name "Scheelite" in his honour. The construction is simple: the surname "Scheele" joined to the mineralogical suffix "-ite", which is used for minerals and rocks generally. The pattern of naming minerals after the scientists who studied their components is common in the field, and this word follows it closely. Its formation is plain, so the interest lies mainly in the man behind it.

Synonyms: calcium tungstate