hematite
Americannoun
-
a very common mineral, iron oxide, Fe 2 O 3 , occurring in steel-gray to black crystals and in red earthy masses: the principal ore of iron.
noun
-
Also called: iron glance. a red, grey, or black mineral, found as massive beds and in veins and igneous rocks. It is the chief source of iron. Composition: iron (ferric) oxide. Formula: Fe 2 O 3 . Crystal structure: hexagonal (rhombohedral)
-
A reddish-brown to silver-gray metallic mineral. Hematite occurs as rhombohedral crystals, as reniform (kidney-shaped) crystals, or as fibrous aggregates in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. It is the most abundant ore of iron, and it is usually slightly magnetic. Chemical formula: Fe 2 O 3 .
Other Word Forms
- hematitic adjective
Etymology
Origin of hematite
1535–45; < Latin haematītes bloodstone < Greek haimatī́tēs ( lithós ) bloodlike (stone). See hemat-, -ite 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pigments made of minerals including hematite and rocks like lapis lazuli are ground into nanoparticles and suspended in silica, resembling “melted glass,” as Magaloni describes.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2025
In addition to ferrihydrite the researchers used various quantities of iron oxide phases like magnetite, hematite, feroxyhyte and schwertmannite.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2025
With a microscope, the researchers also found a rust reddish pigment on the ornaments—likely cinnabar or hematite that were sprinkled or painted on the bodies of deceased royals as part of burial rites.
From Science Magazine • Apr. 17, 2024
When the team analysed the dried-up powder, they found it contained hematite, "giving the paste a deep red colour".
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2024
The ore is a mixture of clay iron ore and Iron. spathic ore, together with limonite and hematite.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2 "Chicago, University of" to "Chiton" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.