# spinel

> English word · Noun · IPA /spɪˈnɛl/ · frequency rank #66,306

## Definitions
1. Any of several hard minerals of cubic symmetry that are mixed oxides of magnesium and aluminium and are used as gemstones of various colours.
2. Any crystalline material, not necessarily an oxide, that possesses the same crystal structure as this mineral.

## Etymology
French spinelle, perhaps from Latin spina (“a thorn, a prickle”), in allusion to its pointed crystals.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/spinel