scheelite

UK: /ˈʃiːlaɪt/ US: (shā′līt, shē′-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

scheel•ite  (shā′līt, shē′-), n. [Mineral.]

1. Mineralogy calcium tungstate, CaWO₄, usually occurring in tetragonal crystals: an important ore of tungsten.

• German Scheelit, named after K. west, western. Scheele, who first isolated tungstic acid; see -ite¹
• 1830–40

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

scheelite / ˈʃiːlaɪt/ noun

1. a white, brownish, or greenish mineral, usually fluorescent, consisting of calcium tungstate in tetragonal crystalline form with some tungsten often replaced by molybdenum: occurs principally in contact metamorphic rocks and quartz veins, and is an important source of tungsten and purified calcium tungstate. Formula: CaWO₄

Etymology: 19th Century: from German Scheelit, named after Karl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–86), Swedish chemist