Diaspore

n. spore or seed dispersed from a plant (Botany); hydrate of alumina having a shining pearly luster

For the plant structure, see Diaspore. For the similar word, see Diaspora Diaspore is a native aluminium hydroxide, α-AlO(OH), crystallizing in the orthorhombic system and isomorphous with goethite and manganite. It occurs sometimes as flattened crystals, but usually as lamellar or scaly masses, the flattened surface being a direction of perfect cleavage on which the lustre is markedly pearly in character. It is colorless or greyish-white, yellowish, sometimes violet in color, and varies from translucent to transparent. It may be readily distinguished from other colorless transparent minerals with a perfect cleavage and pearly luster, like mica, talc, brucite, and gypsum by its greater hardness of 6.5 - 7. The specific gravity is 3.4. When heated before the blowpipe it decrepitates violently, breaking up into white pearly scales.
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n. Diaspora, Jewish exile (after the Babylonian captivity); community of Jews living outside of Palestine or modern Israel; population dispersion

n. diaspore

(n.)
A hydrate of alumina, often occurring in white lamellar masses with brilliant pearly luster; -- so named on account of its decrepitating when heated before the blowpipe.