nephrite
/'nefrait/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A mineral: A specific type of amphibole mineral, composed of calcium magnesium silicate, which crystallizes in a monoclinic system.
- A source of jade: A material that is one of the two main sources of jade, generally considered less commercially valuable than jadeite.
- A historical remedy: A substance once believed in historical or folk medicine to have curative properties for kidney disorders, which is the origin of its name (from Greek nephros, meaning kidney).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The carving was made from a beautiful piece of green nephrite.
- Nephrite and jadeite are both classified as jade, but they are distinct minerals.
- Ancient cultures valued nephrite for its toughness and often used it for tools and ornaments.
Advanced Usage
- In mineralogy/geology: Used to specify the chemical and crystalline form of this amphibole.
- The sample's specific gravity and fibrous structure confirmed it was nephrite, not jadeite.
- In art history/archaeology: Used to describe artifacts and their material composition.
- The museum's collection includes several Neolithic axes crafted from nephrite.
Variants and Related Words
- Jade (n): The general term for the ornamental stones that include both nephrite and jadeite.
- Amphibole (n): The group of silicate minerals to which nephrite belongs.
- Jadeite (n): The other, typically more valued, mineral source of jade, a pyroxene.
Synonyms
- Greenstone (in certain archaeological and regional contexts, e.g., New Zealand ).
- Calcium magnesium silicate (chemical description).
Related Phrases/Idioms
(This word is a specific scientific/mineralogical term and does not commonly feature in idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs.)
Noun
- an amphibole mineral consisting of calcium magnesium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form; a source of jade that is less valuable than from jadeite; once believed to cure kidney disorders