Earth & SkyGreek → English
Hematite
/ˈhiːmətaɪt/noun
An iron oxide mineral, the main ore of iron, which leaves a red streak when scratched.
The Greek roots
αἷμα
haîma
blood
Literally: “bloodlike stone”
Follow a root:αἷμα13 words
The story of the word
Theophrastus already called it αἱματίτης, the bloodlike stone, and the name survives a test anyone can run: a lump may look black and metallic, but drag it across unglazed tile and the mark is red. Ground to powder it becomes red ochre, the pigment in cave paintings and in most ancient wall paint. Same αἷμα behind hemorrhage, anemia and hemoglobin.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
- First recorded
- 15th century
Same family
hemorrhageanemiahematologyhemoglobin
In a sentence
The polished hematite bead looked like gunmetal until it scratched the plate red.
Mars gets its colour from dust rich in hematite.