- mineral
- late 14c., "substance obtained by mining," from M.L. minerale "something mined," from neut. of mineralis "pertaining to mines," from minera "mine." Meaning "material substance that is neither animal nor vegetable" is first recorded c.1600. Modern scientific sense is from 1813. Mineral water is from 1560s, originally water found in nature with some mineral substance dissolved in it.