A variant or related term for spinel, a hard gemstone and mineral consisting of magnesium aluminum oxide.
From Latin spina 'thorn,' possibly referring to the crystal habit of the mineral, or borrowed from Spanish espinela.
Spinels come in brilliant reds and blues and were so prized that famous 'rubies' in crown jewels were actually spinels—a gem impostor with real prestige!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.