noun
inclusion
Foreign material trapped inside a mineral, cell, or other substance.
The jeweler spots a tiny inclusion deep inside the diamond.
Etymology
The Latin verb means to enclose. A physical inclusion is material shut inside another substance, such as a fragment enclosed within a crystal.
More examples
- This quartz crystal contains several fluid inclusions.
- A brittle inclusion weakens the steel.
- Under the microscope, the cell shows a dark inclusion.
Forms
inclusion · inclusions
Similar words
- impurity
- Unwanted material present, not necessarily a distinct trapped particle.
- contaminant
- An introduced substance that makes material less pure or safe.