Main Entry: ¹min·er·al

Pronunciation: \ˈmin-rəl, ˈmi-nə-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin minerale, from neuter of mineralis

Date: 15th century

1 : ore
2 : an inorganic substance (as in the ash of calcined tissue)
3 obsolete : mine
4 : something neither animal nor vegetable
5 a : a solid homogeneous crystalline chemical element or compound that results from the inorganic processes of nature; broadly : any of various naturally occurring homogeneous substances (as stone, coal, salt, sulfur, sand, petroleum, water, or natural gas) obtained usually from the ground b : a synthetic substance having the chemical composition and crystalline form and properties of a naturally occurring mineral
6 plural British : mineral water