A black or dark-colored uranium mineral that is an important ore of uranium, named after its box-like crystal structure.
Named after Henry Seybert Coffin (American geologist) plus the mineral suffix '-ite'. The term was coined in the early 20th century to honor the geologist and describe the mineral's properties.
Coffinite is radioactive and was named after a person, not for its coffer-like appearance—though its blocky crystal structure DOES look box-like, creating a happy accident where geology and etymology align!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.