inorganic matter

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

The inanimate world

Nouns

1. inorganic matter, mineral, mineral world or kingdom, unorganized, inanimate, or lifeless matter, inorganization; lithification, petrification; petrifaction; brute matter; stone, metal, chemicals. See materials.

2.

a. mineral, noble mineral; acanthite, actinolite, adamite, alabaster, amphibole, anhydrite, apatite, aragonite, argentite, asbestos, aventurine, azurite, babingtonite, barite, bauxite, beryl, bismuth, borax, brookite, calcite, carnalite, carnotite, celestite, chalcedony, chlorite, chromite, cinnabar, columbite, copalite, corundum, cryolite, cuprite, dendrite, diaspore, dolomite, emery, epsomite, feldspar, fluorite, gadolinite, galena, garnet, graphite, gypsum, halite, hematite, jamesonite, kaolinite, kernite, kyanite, lazurite, leucite, limonite, magnesite, malachite, manganite, marcasite, mesolite, mica, orpiment, pargasite, pyrite, pyroxene, quartz, realgar, rhodonite, serpentine, siderite, smaltite, sodalite, stannite, sulfur, talc, tourmaline, trona, ulexite, uraninite, wolframite, zincite.

b. gem[stone]; agate, alexandrite, almandine, amber, amethyst, aquamarine, beryl, bloodstone, carbuncle, carnelian, cat's eye, chalcedony, chrysoberyl, chrysolite, citrine, diamond, emerald, garnet, heliotrope, hyacinth, jacinth, jade, jasper, jet, lapis lazuli, malachite, melanite, moonstone, morganite, nephrite, onyx, opal, peridot, quartz, ruby, sapphire, sard[onyx], spinel, sunstone, tiger's-eye, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise, zircon.

3. metal (see 5.); alloy; alnico, amalgam, babbitt [metal], brass, bronze, carboloy, [carbon, Damascus, graphite, or stainless] steel, cast iron, chrome, coin nickel, constantan, damask, electrum, elinvar, invar, permalloy, perminvar, pewter, pinchbeck, solder, spiegeleisen, sterling silver, tombac, white gold, wrought iron.

4. [igneous, extrusive, intrusive, mantle, metamorphic, plutonic, stratified, volcanic, or sedimentary] rock, aggregate, batholith, bedrock, boulder, composite, evaporite, laccolith, mélange, moraine, scree, talus; andesite, anorthosite, aplite, basalt, breccia, brownstone, buhr[stone], calc-silicate, chalk, chert, clinkstone, coal, conglomerate, dacite, diabase, diorite, dolerite, dolomite, dripstone, dunite, felsite, flint, gabbro, gneiss, granite, greenstone, grit, gypsum, halite, hematite, hornblende, hornfels, ironstone, lava, limestone, marble, marl, mudstone, obsidian, oolite, pitchstone, porphyry, pumice, quartzite, rock salt, rottenstone, sandstone, schist, scoria, serpentine, shale, skarn, slage, soapstone, stalactite, stalagmite, stinkstone, touchstone, trachyte, trap, traprock, travertine, tufa, tuff, volcanic ash.

5. chemical, organic compound; [chemical] element, actinium, aluminum, americium, antimony, argon, arsenic, astatine, barium, berkelium, beryllium, bismuth, boron, bromine, cadmium, calcium, californium, carbon, cerium, cesium, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, columbium, copper, curium, dysprosium, einsteinium, erbium, europium, fermium, fluorine, francium, gadolinium, gallium, germanium, gold, hafnium, hahnium, helium, holmium, hydrogen, indium, iodine, iridium, iron, krypton, lanthanum, lawrencium, lead, lithium, lutetium, magnesium, manganese, mendelevium, mercury, molybdenum, neodymium, neon, neptunium, nickel, niobium, nitrogen, nobelium, osmium, oxygen, palladium, phosphorus, platinum, plutonium, polonium, potassium, praseodymium, prometium, protactinium, radium, radon, rhenium, rhodium, rubidium, ruthenium, rutherfordium, samarium, scandium, selenium, silicon, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, tantalum, technetium, tellurium, terbium, thallium, thorium, thulium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadiu, wolfram, xenon, ytterbium, yttrium, zinc, zirconium.

6. earth sciences; mineralogy, [physical or structural] geology, geomorphology, geophysics, lithology, orography, petrology, geognosy, geoscopy, metallurgy, lithology, petrology; inorganic chemistry, geochemistry. See organic matter.

Verbs — mineralize, petrify, lithify; turn to dust.

Adjectives — inorganic, mineral, unorganized, inanimate, lifeless, azoic, inert, insentient, insensible, insensate, unfeeling.

Antonyms, see organic matter.