A dark mineral composed of iron, manganese, and niobium (formerly called columbium) that is an important ore source for the metal niobium.
From 'columbium,' the former name of the element niobium, plus the mineral suffix '-ite.' Columbium was named after Columbia, the poetic name for the United States. When the element was renamed niobium in the 1950s, the mineral kept its older name, creating a linguistic fossil.
Columbite is a geological time capsule—its name preserves an older, rejected element name that's been obsolete for 70 years, yet we keep using the mineral name for convenience, making it a small act of scientific rebellion.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.