zircon

noun

zir·​con ˈzər-ˌkän How to pronounce zircon (audio)
-kən
: 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

Recent Examples on the Web
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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 See All Example Sentences for zircon

Word History

Etymology

German

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zircon was in 1794

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Cite this Entry

“Zircon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zircon. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

zircon

noun
zir·​con ˈzər-ˌkän How to pronounce zircon (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on zircon

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