ˈspäjəˌmēn noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from French spodumène, from German spodumen, from Greek spodoumenos, present participle of spodousthai to be burnt to ashes, from spodos wood ash; from its becoming ash-colored when exposed to the blowpipe
: a monoclinic mineral LiAlSi 2 O 6 of the pyroxene group that is a lithium aluminum silicate of white to yellowish, purplish, or emerald-green color and that occurs in prismatic crystals often of great size (hardness 6.5-7, specific gravity 3.13-3.20) — see hiddenite , kunzite