noun
calamine
A zinc-bearing mineral mixture formerly used in medicine and industry.
The mineral collection includes a specimen historically labeled calamine.
Etymology
The mineral name is historically associated with Latin cadmia, a name for zinc-bearing material. Its older use covered ores and mixtures rather than the single standardized medicinal preparation the name may suggest today.
More examples
- Early metalworkers used calamine as a source of zinc.
- The old mine produced calamine for local industry.
- The historian traced the trade in zinc-bearing calamine.
Forms
calamine
Similar words
- zinc ore
- A broader category, while calamine is a historical name for certain zinc-bearing minerals.