n. [ Cf. F. mineur. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who mines; a digger for metals, etc.; one engaged in the business of getting ore, coal, or precious stones, out of the earth; one who digs military mines; as, armies have sappers and miners. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) Any of numerous insects which, in the larval state, excavate galleries in the parenchyma of leaves. They are mostly minute moths and dipterous flies. (b) The chattering, or garrulous, honey eater of Australia (Myzantha garrula). [ 1913 Webster ]

Miner's elbow (Med.), a swelling on the black of the elbow due to inflammation of the bursa over the olecranon; -- so called because of frequent occurrence in miners. --
Miner's inch, in hydraulic mining, the amount of water flowing under a given pressure in a given time through a hole one inch in diameter. It is a unit for measuring the quantity of water supplied. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to minerals; consisting of a mineral or of minerals; as, a mineral substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Impregnated with minerals; as, mineral waters. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mineral acids (Chem.), inorganic acids, as sulphuric, nitric, phosphoric, hydrochloric, acids, etc., as distinguished from the organic acids. --
Mineral blue, the name usually given to azurite, when reduced to an impalpable powder for coloring purposes. --
Mineral candle, a candle made of paraffin. --
Mineral caoutchouc, an elastic mineral pitch, a variety of bitumen, resembling caoutchouc in elasticity and softness. See Caoutchouc, and Elaterite. --
Mineral chameleon (Chem.) See Chameleon mineral, under Chameleon. --
Mineral charcoal. See under Charcoal. --
Mineral cotton. See Mineral wool (below). --
Mineral green, a green carbonate of copper; malachite. --
Mineral kingdom (Nat. Sci.), that one of the three grand divisions of nature which embraces all inorganic objects, as distinguished from plants or animals. --
Mineral oil. See Naphtha, and Petroleum. --
Mineral paint, a pigment made chiefly of some natural mineral substance, as red or yellow iron ocher. --
Mineral patch. See Bitumen, and Asphalt. --
Mineral right, the right of taking minerals from land. --
Mineral salt (Chem.), a salt of a mineral acid. --
Mineral tallow, a familiar name for hatchettite, from its fatty or spermaceti-like appearance. --
Mineral water. See under Water. --
Mineral wax. See Ozocerite. --
Mineral wool, a fibrous wool-like material, made by blowing a powerful jet of air or steam through melted slag. It is a poor conductor of heat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. minéral, LL. minerale, fr. minera mine. See Mine, v. i. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. An inorganic species or substance occurring in nature, having a definite chemical composition and usually a distinct crystalline form. Rocks, except certain glassy igneous forms, are either simple minerals or aggregates of minerals. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mine. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything which is neither animal nor vegetable, as in the most general classification of things into three kingdoms (animal, vegetable, and mineral). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. minéraliste. ] One versed in minerals; mineralogist. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. minéralisation. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The process of mineralizing, or forming a mineral by combination of a metal with another element; also, the process of converting into a mineral, as a bone or a plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of impregnating with a mineral, as water. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) The conversion of a cell wall into a material of a stony nature. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To go on an excursion for observing and collecting minerals; to mineralogize. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mineralized p. pr. & vb. n. Mineralizing ] [ Cf. F. minéraliser. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To transform into a mineral. [ 1913 Webster ]

In these caverns the bones are not mineralized. Buckland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To impregnate with a mineral; as, mineralized water. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To charge or impregnate with ore. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adj. 1. containing or impregnated with minerals; as, mineralized water; red stains that signify mineralized land. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. converted into a mineral.
Syn. -- petrified. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. An element which is combined with a metal, thus forming an ore. Thus, in galena, or lead ore, sulphur is a mineralizer; in hematite, oxygen is a mineralizer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. minéralogique. See Mineralogy. ] Of or pertaining to mineralogy; as, a mineralogical table. [ 1913 Webster ]