ZIRCON

zircon, zirconium silicate

(noun) a common mineral occurring in small crystals; chief source of zirconium; used as a refractory when opaque and as a gem when transparent

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

zircon (countable and uncountable, plural zircons)

(uncountable) A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, usually of a brown or grey colour and consisting of silica and zirconia.

(countable) A crystal of zircon, sometimes used as a false gemstone.

Source: Wiktionary

Zir"con, n. Etym: [F., the same word as jargon. See Jargon a variety of zircon.] (Min.)

Definition: A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, usually of a brown or gray color. It consists of silica and zirconia. A red variety, used as a gem, is called hyacinth. Colorless, pale-yellow or smoky- brown varieties from Ceylon are called jargon. Zircon syenite, a coarse-grained syenite containing zircon crystals and often also elæolite. It is largely developed in Southern Norway.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition