AMETHYST

amethyst

(adjective) of a moderate purple color

amethyst

(noun) a transparent purple variety of quartz; used as a gemstone

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Proper noun

Amethyst

A female given name

Etymology

Noun

amethyst (plural amethysts)

A transparent purple variety of quartz, used as a gemstone.

(uncountable) A purple colour.

(tincture) The purple tincture when emblazoning the arms of the English nobility.

Adjective

amethyst (comparative more amethyst, superlative most amethyst)

Having a colour similar to that of the gemstone

Source: Wiktionary


Am"e*thyst, Etym: [F. ametiste, amatiste, F. améthyste, L. amethystus, fr. Gr. Mead.]

1. (Min.)

Definition: A variety of crystallized quartz, of a purple or bluish violet color, of different shades. It is much used as a jeweler's stone. Oriental amethyst, the violet-blue variety of transparent crystallized corundum or sapphire.

2. (Her.)

Definition: A purple color in a nobleman's escutcheon, or coat of arms.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

9 January 2025

PRESENTATION

(noun) (obstetrics) position of the fetus in the uterus relative to the birth canal; “Cesarean sections are sometimes the result of abnormal presentations”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.

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