Asboline

/ˈæzbəliːn/ noun

Definition

Another variant form of the dark manganese oxide mineral related to asbolane, sometimes considered a hydrated manganese oxide.

Etymology

From Greek asbole (soot) with the suffix -ine, a common mineralogical ending used to indicate mineral varieties and chemical compounds. This variant reflects 19th-century nomenclature experimentation.

Kelly Says

If you're confused by asboline, asbolite, asbolin, and asbolane—you should be! Mineralogists in the 1800s basically invented different names for what turned out to be the same or very similar manganese minerals.

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