Lexic.us

Definition of Tourmaline

1. Noun. A mineral that is a complex borosilicate and hydroxide of aluminum containing iron and magnesium and calcium and lithium and sodium; it is usually black but occurs in transparent colored forms that are used as gemstones.

Definition of Tourmaline

1. n. A mineral occurring usually in three-sided or six-sided prisms terminated by rhombohedral or scalenohedral planes. Black tourmaline (schorl) is the most common variety, but there are also other varieties, as the blue (indicolite), red (rubellite), also green, brown, and white. The red and green varieties when transparent are valued as jewels.

Definition of Tourmaline

1. Noun. A complex black or dark coloured borosilicate mineral. ¹

2. Noun. A transparent gemstone cut from it. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Tourmaline

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Tourmaline

1. A mineral occurring usually in three-sided or six-sided prisms terminated by rhombohedral or scalenohedral planes. Black tourmaline (schorl) is the most common variety, but there are also other varieties, as the blue (indicolite), red (rubellite), also green, brown, and white. The red and green varieties when transparent are valued as jewels. Alternative forms: turmaline. Crystals of tourmaline when heated exhibit electric polarity (see Pyroelectric,). Tourmaline is also used in the form of a polarizcope called tourmaline tongs. Origin: F. Tourmaline, cf. It. Turmalina, tormalina, NL. Turmalina, turmalinus; all fr. Tournamal, a name given to this stone in Ceylon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Tourmaline

Literary usage of Tourmaline

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and (1911)
"The double refraction of tourmaline is strong. The mineral is optically negative, ... The brown tourmaline of Ceylon and Brazil is best adapted for ..."

2. Report of the Annual Meeting (1892)
"On the Occurrence of Detrital tourmaline in a, Quarts-schist west of Start Point, South Devon. By AR HUNT, MA, FGS While examining the Devonian cliffs near ..."

3. Elements of Chemical and Physical Geology by Gustav Bischof (1855)
"corresponding to the five groups into which he divides tourmaline. Breithaupt found that the longer fragments of the crystals associated with quartz were ..."

4. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and (1918)
"minerals are found intergrown with the quartz-tourmaline segregations from aplite dikes.28 Galena, sphalerite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite are known in this ..."

5. The Principles of Economic Geology by William Harvey Emmons (1918)
"tourmaline is developed as a gangue mineral in a considerable number of ore veins. The cassiterite ores in which it is commonly present are mentioned above. ..."

6. Elements of Mineralogy, Crystallography and Blowpipe Analysis: From a by Alfred Joseph Moses, Charles Lathrop Parsons (1916)
"Beryl, topaz and tourmaline in granites and especially in pegmatites. ... Iron tourmaline between schists and granites. Magnesium tourmaline in limestone ..."

7. The Data of Geochemistry by Frank Wigglesworth Clarke (1908)
"tourmaline really represents a group of isomorphous species, whose chemical ... Iron tourmaline: The common black variety, which alone is significant as a ..."

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