emerald

Meanings

Noun

• Any of various green gemstones, especially a green transparent form of beryl, highly valued as a precious stone.
• Emerald green, a colour.
• Any hummingbird in the genera Chlorostilbon and Elvira; and some in the genus Amazilia
• Any of various species of dragonfly of the family Corduliidae (family).
• A size of type between nonpareil and minion, standardized as 6½-point.

Adjective

• Of a rich green colour.

Verb

• To ornament with, or as if with, emeralds; to make green.

Related

Similar words

• smaragd
• minionette

Origin

• From Middle English emeraude, borrowed from Old French esmeraude, from Vulgar Latin *smaralda, *smaraldus, *smaraudus, variant of Latin smaragdus, from Ancient Greek σμάραγδος, μάραγδος, from a Semitic language. Compare Hebrew בָּרֶקֶת ("emerald, flashing gem"), Akkadian 𒁀𒊏𒄣, Arabic بَرْق, Egyptian bwyrqꜣ:D58-Z7-Z4:D21-N29-Z1-G1-D6 and loanwords with Semitic etymon such as Sanskrit मरकत and Persian زمرد (whence Turkish zümrüt and Russian изумру́д).