mineral vein

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mineral vein

A miner points his headlamp at a mineral vein in the tunnel wall.

Definition

Noun: A naturally occurring, narrow, sheet-like body of crystallized minerals within a rock. It is a type of geological formation, typically formed when mineral-rich fluids deposit material into a fracture or crack in the surrounding rock.

Usage

A "mineral vein" is a specific geological term. It describes a distinct, often linear, concentration of minerals that is different from the host rock. It is commonly associated with mining, as veins can contain valuable ores.

Examples
  • Geologists discovered a rich mineral vein containing silver and lead.
  • The old mine was dug to follow a quartz mineral vein deep into the mountain.
  • The presence of a large mineral vein can significantly alter the surrounding rock's structure.
Advanced Usage
  • "To intersect a vein": In mining or geology, this means to cut across or discover a mineral vein during excavation or study.
    • The drilling operation finally intersected the main gold-bearing vein.
  • The term can be used metaphorically to describe a rich, concentrated source of something non-physical.
    • The novelist tapped into a deep mineral vein of human emotion.
Variants and Related Words
  • Vein (noun): The more general term. In geology, it is often used interchangeably with "mineral vein." In other contexts, it can refer to a blood vessel or a distinctive streak or pattern (e.g., , ).
  • Lode (noun): A vein of metal ore in the earth. Often implies a larger or principal vein.
  • Seam (noun): A thin layer of a mineral, like coal, between layers of rock. Differs from a vein in often being a sedimentary layer rather than an infilled fracture.
Synonyms
  • Ore vein
  • Mineral lode
  • Reef (in some mining contexts, e.g., gold reef)
Related Phrases
  • Vein deposit: A broader geological term for an accumulation of minerals in a vein.
  • Mother lode: The principal vein of ore in a region; also used figuratively to mean the main source of something valuable.
Related Idioms
  • "To be in the vein (of)": While not directly from geology, this idiom meaning "to be in the mood or style of" shares the metaphorical concept of a continuous streak or channel.
    • After reading poetry, she was in the vein for writing lyrical prose.
mineral vein

A miner points his headlamp at a mineral vein in the tunnel wall.

Noun
  1. a layer of ore between layers of rock

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