Tantalite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mineral composed primarily of tantalum oxide used in electronics and classified as a heavy, dense ore often found with niobium in pegmatite rocks
2. A naturally occurring mineral consisting of tantalum and oxygen elements, valuable in manufacturing capacitors and other electronic components, commonly associated with rare metal deposits
3. A dense, metallic mineral containing tantalum oxide, important as a source for tantalum extraction and frequently present in granitic and metamorphic rock formations

Etymology: Tantalite takes its name from tantalum, the metal that was named after a figure from Greek myth. Tantalus, a king who was punished in the underworld by being kept near water and fruit that always receded from his reach, gave the element its name because its oxide refused to dissolve in acid, leaving the metal out of reach. The mineral name, however, is simply the element's name with a suffix attached. The suffix "-ite" has a long route into English. It comes from the Ancient Greek "-ītēs", a term used to form names of stones and minerals, which passed into Latin as "-ītēs" and then into French as "-ite". Mineralogists adopted it widely, so that many minerals ending in "-ite" were named after a key element or locality they contained. Tantalite is therefore a compound coinage: the mineral is named for its tantalum content, and the mythological Tantalus lies behind the metal's name rather than the mineral's own sound.

Synonyms: tantalum ore, mineral tantalum, columbotantalite, oxide mineral