English Reference

Word

gypsum

Phoneticsgyp·sum

US/ˈdʒɪpsəm/

UK/dʒˈɪpsəm/

Definition

n. a soft, white mineral that is used to make drywall and plaster. It is also used in some types of cement and fertilizers.

n. a soft, white, crystalline mineral consisting of calcium sulfate dihydrate. It is widely used in the construction industry for drywall and in the production of plaster and cement.

Examples

“The construction workers used gypsum to make the drywall.”

“The factory produces large quantities of gypsum for the local construction market and for agricultural fertilizers.”

“Geologists identified the presence of gypsum in the sedimentary layers, indicating that the area was once a shallow marine environment where evaporation concentrated the mineral deposits.”

Examples

simple

“The construction workers used gypsum to make the drywall.”

contextual

“The factory produces large quantities of gypsum for the local construction market and for agricultural fertilizers.”

complex

“Geologists identified the presence of gypsum in the sedimentary layers, indicating that the area was once a shallow marine environment where evaporation concentrated the mineral deposits.”

Real-World Examples

“Common pigments included hematite and realgar for red; goethite and orpiment for yellow; Egyptian blue; Egyptian green; carbon-based black; and calcite, gypsum, anhydrite, and huntite for white.”
Ars Technica · 11 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Latin gypsum, from Ancient Greek γύψος (gúpsos). Doublet of gesso.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference