: 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
Examples of zircon in a Sentence
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The gold standard and easiest way to date very old rock formations is with a very tough mineral known as a zircon.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
Melting the lunar surface through extensive volcanism is one way to reset the zircons.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 8 May 2025
The technique also typically needs kilograms of material to find enough uranium-containing zircon crystals, whereas ocean drill cores yield just grams.
—Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 8 Sep. 2024
The team first crushes the rocks into fine grains and separates out the zircons using dense liquids and magnetic fields.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
Melting the lunar surface through extensive volcanism is one way to reset the zircons.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 8 May 2025
The technique also typically needs kilograms of material to find enough uranium-containing zircon crystals, whereas ocean drill cores yield just grams.
—Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 8 Sep. 2024
The team first crushes the rocks into fine grains and separates out the zircons using dense liquids and magnetic fields.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for zircon
Cite this Entry
“Zircon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zircon. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
zircon
noun
zir·con
ˈzər-ˌkän 
-kən
: a mineral that consists of a silicate of zirconium and occurs usually as brown or grayish crystals or sometimes as transparent forms which are used as gems
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