zircon

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noun zir·con \ˈzər-ˌkän, -kən\

Definition of zircon

: a tetragonal mineral consisting of a silicate of zirconium and occurring usually in brown or grayish square prisms of adamantine luster or sometimes in transparent forms which are used as gems

Recent Examples of zircon from the Web

In 2013, a team of European and South African geologists published research showing that the island's rock actually contained zircon crystals that were billions of years older than the island itself.

— ken jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "Scientists Have Discovered a 'Lost Continent' Under Mauritius," 6 Feb. 2017
The researchers recovered zircons as old as 3 billion years, Ashwal says in a press release.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Researchers Think They’ve Found a Mini Continent in the Indian Ocean," 2 Feb. 2017
The researchers collected samples of the mineral zircon, which can be used to calculate the age of rocks, from an island off the coast of Madagascar called Mauritius.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Found a 'Lost' Continent in the Indian Ocean," 2 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zircon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.