n. A light yellow, red-brown, or black mineral, SnO2, that is an important tin ore. Also called tinstone. [French cassitérite : Greek kassiteros, tin (of unknown origin) + French -ite, -ite (from Old French; see –ITE1).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.