Key Terms and Their Meanings – Elements, Minerals, and Rocks

 

[Note about original language of origin:

   L = Latin

   G = Greek

   OF = Old French

   AS = Anglo-Saxon

   ME = Middle English

   It = Italian

 

Element (L, basic substance composing the Universe)

Atom (G, a- without, -tom, division, uncut)

Compound (L, com- put, -pound together, put together)

Molecule (OF, small mass)

Mixture (L, to mix)

 

Mineral (L, ore or mine)

Physical (L, nature) property (OF, to own)

Chemical (G?, mingling or extracting medicinal juices from plants)

Color

Streak (ME, line)

Crystal (OF, ice) shape or form

Hardness (AS, solid)

Moh’s Hardness Scale (Frederich Mohs)

Density (L, crowded together)

Cleavage (AS, parted)

Fracture (OF, to break into pieces)

Luster (L, illuminate)

Reactivity (L, to do again) with acid

Fluorescence ((L, to flow)

Magnetism (G, metal stone from area of Magnesia)

Silicate (L, flint, stone)

Tetrahedron (G, four sides)

Non-silicate

 

Rock (OF, stone)

Rock cycle (G, ring)

 

Igneous (L, fire)

Magma (G, melted)

Lava (It, to wash)

Rock texture (L, weave)

Felsic (G, rock)

Mafic (contain magnesium and iron)

Extrusive (L, to thrust out)

Volcanic ( L, from the blacksmith god Vulcan)

Fine-grained (L., seed)

Glassy (AS) texture

Conchoidal (G, shell form)

Intrusive (L, to thrust in)

Plutonic (L, from the underworld god Pluto)

Coarse-grained

 

Sedimentary (OF, settling)

Sediments

Clastic (G, to break)

Chemical sedimentary

Organic sedimentary rock

Inorganic sedimentary rock

Precipitate (L, falling headlong)

Evaporite (L, steam or vapor)

Compress (L, squeeze together)

Fossil (L, to dig)

 

Metamorphic (G, meta- change + -morph, shape)

Foliation (L, leaf or sheet)

Pressure

Regional (L, direction) metamorphism

Contact (L, con-, together + -tact, touch) metamorphism

 

Resource (OF, to spring up again)

Ore (AS, copper, brass)

Renewable

Non-renewable