spodumene

noun

spod·​u·​mene ˈspä-jə-ˌmēn 

: a white to yellowish, purplish, or emerald-green monoclinic mineral that is a silicate of lithium and aluminum and occurs in prismatic crystals often of great size

Examples of spodumene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Albemarle’s lithium mine is expected to produce about 420,000 tons of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate per year. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2025

Lithium processing involves chemical treatments to separate lithium from spodumene, which may introduce additional contaminants. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

Piedmont is also developing a lithium project in North Carolina and spodumene assets in Ghana. —Alan Neuhauser, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024

Lithium is extracted from spodumene found in the granite rock called pegmatite. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024

Australia leads the world in lithium production, mining most of it from the mineral spodumene. —Aaron Gettinger, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2023

Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection has rejected the Freemans’ request to consider the land a quarry, and is instead classifying spodumene as a metallic mineral. —Time, 17 July 2023

Geologists say there’s also likely a lot more lithium in spodumene deposits across New England. —Time, 17 July 2023

But geologists know it as spodumene, lithium-bearing ore. —Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 24 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

probably from French spodumène, from German Spodumen, from Greek spodoumenos, present participle of spodousthai to be burnt to ashes, from spodos ashes

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spodumene

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean