amethyst
/ɛm-/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.01 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The tincture purpure, when blazoning by precious stones.
name
A female given name.
Example Sentences
- "The burning evening sun lighted with mellow gold the coats of the fierce little tiger-kittens — orange silk with stripes of black velvet — the broken amethysts and ruined emeralds of the poor bird's train cruelly scattered over the trampled grass"
- "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.)"
- "I'm not bragging, but I had mica, pyrite, and an amethyst in my collection, oh yea. (Side note to readers: Amethysts, those big purple crystal ones, were a big panty dropper back in the day. […])"
- "The Field is Topaz, a Lion rampant Amethyst [...]"
- "Purple, on the arms of princes Mercury, of peers amethyst, and of commoners purpure, [is represented] by diagonal lines from the sinister chief to the dexter base."
- "1st & 4th grand Quarter alike viz. Field Pearl, on a bend Sapphire 3 Buckheads, coup'd topaz for Stanley. The 2d Quarter, Field Sapphire with an inverted Chief, amethyst. The 3d, A Checque topaz & Amethyst, this seems prior to Bosworth field, to have belong'd to Sr Robt Goushill whose Dr a Stanley married …"
Etymology
From Middle English ametist, from Old French ametiste (French améthyste), from Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος (améthustos, “not drunk”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μεθύω (methúō, “to be drunk”), from μέθυ (méthu, “wine”). The name was based on the ancient belief that amethyst gemstones could prevent intoxication. People in ancient Greece and Rome would wear amethyst or drink from cups made of amethyst to ward off the effects of alcohol.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ametist, ametiste, ἀμέθυστος
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɛm-/