Noun
An
extremely
hard
mineral
,
a
form
of
aluminum oxide
with
the
chemical formula
Al
<
sub
>
2
sub
>
O
<
sub
>
3
sub
>,
that
occurs
in
the
form
of
the
gemstones
sapphire
and
ruby
;
it
is
used
as
an
abrasive
.