: 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
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The only way that the uranium-lead ratio can be compatible with the hafnium in the zircons, Whitehouse argued, is if the zircons that settled in the silt had crystallized around 2.8 billion years ago, constraining the organic carbon to being no older than that.
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Howard Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025
Testing that assumption, the study authors smashed the rocks and examined the tiny crystals, called zircons, that were trapped inside.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
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
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Howard Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025
Testing that assumption, the study authors smashed the rocks and examined the tiny crystals, called zircons, that were trapped inside.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for zircon
Cite this Entry
“Zircon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zircon. Accessed 3 Sep. 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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