Noun

(en noun)

(mineralogy)   Any of several hard minerals of cubic symmetry that are mixed oxides of magnesium and aluminium and are used as gemstones of various colours.

*{{quote-magazine, date=2012-03

, author=Lee A. Groat , title=Gemstones , volume=100, issue=2, page=128 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel , tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)}}

(solid state chemistry)   Any crystalline material, not necessarily an oxide, that possesses the same crystal structure as this mineral.

Bleached yarn in making the linen tape called inkle; unwrought inkle.

(Knight)

(Webster 1913)