Uraninite
/jʊˈrænɪnaɪt/noun
A usually black, highly radioactive mineral composed chiefly of uranium dioxide.
Did you know?Uraninite was historically called pitchblende, and uranium extracted from it ultimately led to the discovery of radium and polonium in uranium ores.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
οὐρανός (ouranos)
“sky or heavens; the name later associated with the primordial sky god Uranus”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Οὐρανός (Ouranos)
“Uranus, the personified sky and primordial deity in Greek mythology”
1789
German
Uran
“uranium, named by Martin Heinrich Klaproth after the recently discovered planet Uranus”
19th Century
German/English
uranium
“the chemical element named from Uranus, with the mineral suffix -ite later forming mineral names”
1850s
English
uraninite
“a mineral name for uranium-rich ore, especially uranium dioxide; historically associated with pitchblende”
Modern English
English
uraninite
“a black or brown radioactive uranium mineral, chiefly UO₂”
Explore more surprising origins