Spar

Description

1) Any nonmetallic mineral with a lustrous sheen and good cleavage. Examples include Iceland spar (calcite), heavy spar (barite), satin spar (calcite or gypsum), Greenland spar (cryolite), feldspar, and fluorspar (calcium fluoride).

2) A waterproof varnish originally designed for coating wooden masts (spars) on ships. See spar varnish.

Authority

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• Thomas Gregory, The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Reinhold Publishing, New York, 3rd ed., 1942