Meanings
plural nephelines
- countableuncountablechemistryA feldspathoid mineral of silica-poor igneous, plutonic and volcanic rocks. Chemically, nepheline is a plagioclase feldspar with insufficient silica to satisfy the chemical bonds. Because of the unfilled bonds, nepheline weathers rapidly and can only be seen as inclusions in freshly broken rock.
Synonyms: nephelite
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA feldspathoid mineral of silica-poor igneous, plutonic and volcanic rocks. Chemically, nepheline is a plagioclase feldspar with insufficient silica to satisfy the chemical bonds. Because of the unfilled bonds, nepheline weathers rapidly and can only be seen as inclusions in freshly broken rock.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna whitish mineral consisting of sodium aluminum silicate or potassium aluminum silicate in crystalline form; used in the manufacture of ceramics and enamels
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekνεφέλη“cloud”
- Englishnepheline
From Ancient Greek νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”), because crystals become cloudy when exposed to acid, + -ine.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 霞石
- 霞石 (xiáshí)feldspathoid mineral
Finnish nefeliini
- nefeliinifeldspathoid mineral
Italian nefelina
- nefelinafeldspathoid mineral
Japanese 霞石
- 霞石 (kasumiishi)feldspathoid mineral
Spanish nefelina
- nefelinafeldspathoid mineral
Cite this entry
nepheline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nepheline
“nepheline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nepheline. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nepheline,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nepheline.
Source: nepheline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.