Main Entry:

spi·nel

Variant(s):

or spi·nelle \spə-ˈnel\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Italian spinella, diminutive of spina thorn, from Latin

Date:

1528

1 : a hard crystalline mineral consisting of an oxide of magnesium and aluminum that varies from colorless to ruby red to black and is used as a gem 2 : any of a group of minerals that are essentially oxides of magnesium, ferrous iron, zinc, or manganese