: a tetragonal mineral consisting of a silicate of zirconium and occurring usually in brown or grayish square prisms of adamantine luster or sometimes in transparent forms which are used as gems
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For instance, there are rare lunar zircon minerals that suggest the moon was born about 4.5 billion years ago.
—
Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2024
On Earth, zircons from hydrothermal systems — which form when water is heated by subsurface volcanic activity like the upward flow of hot magma — have similar patterns to those found in Black Beauty.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
The scientists focused on the zircon that was contained in the meteorite.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
The zircon crystals that formed during the Sturtian glaciation gradually disappear in younger rocks until they are replaced by zircons formed after the ice began to melt.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 Sep. 2024
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Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2024
On Earth, zircons from hydrothermal systems — which form when water is heated by subsurface volcanic activity like the upward flow of hot magma — have similar patterns to those found in Black Beauty.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
The scientists focused on the zircon that was contained in the meteorite.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
The zircon crystals that formed during the Sturtian glaciation gradually disappear in younger rocks until they are replaced by zircons formed after the ice began to melt.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zircon
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“Zircon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zircon. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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zircon
noun
zir·con
ˈzər-ˌkän 
-kən
: a mineral that consists of a silicate of zirconium and occurs usually as brown or grayish crystals or sometimes as transparent forms which are used as gems
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