turquoise
/ˈtɝ.k(w)ɔɪz/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.33 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)"
- "The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. To display them the walls had been tinted a vivid blue which had now faded, but the carpet, which had evidently been stored and recently relaid, retained its original turquoise."
Etymology
From Middle French turquoise, from Old French (pierre) turquoise (“Turkish (stone)”), from turc + -ois. The stone, mined near Nishapur in the Khorasan region of Persia, was originally brought to Europe through Turkey. Doublet of Turkish. Compare typologically copper (<< Ancient Greek Κύπρος (Kúpros, “Cyprus”)).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtɝ.k(w)ɔɪz/
- British English: /ˈtɜː(ɹ).k(w)ɔɪz/
Usage
Inflected Forms
turquoises (plural)
Turkies (alternative, archaic)
more turquoise (comparative)
most turquoise (superlative)