sapphire
/ˈsæf.aɪ̯əɹ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.44 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A white, yellow, or purple variety of corundum, either clear or translucent.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Any hummingbird in the genera Hylocharis and Chlorestes, as well as the rufous-throated sapphire, which is now in the genus Amazilia.
Countable
noun
Any of the butterflies in the southern Asian lycaenid genus Heliophorus or the African lycaenid genus Iolaus.
Countable; Uncountable
adj
pertaining to a 45th year
Example Sentences
- "Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade."
- "Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; […]"
- "3. Saphire, ten Bezants, 4, 3, 2, 1, by the Bisset."
- "(2) Topaz, a Chief Indented, Saphire."
- "Topaz, on a Cross, Sapphire, a Crosier thrust through a Mitre, Topaz."
- "At about eleven, we uncaged our pigeons, who flew away into the sapphire sky that hung like a sail from the white peaks."
Etymology
From Middle English saphir, from Old French saphir, from Latin sapphir, sappir, sapphīrus, from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros, “precious stone, gem”), from a Semitic language such as Hebrew סַפִּיר (sappī́r, “lapis lazuli”), originally from Assyrian Akkadian šipirtu (“lapis lazuli”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsæf.aɪ̯əɹ/
- British English: /ˈsæf.aɪ̯ə/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
blue-chinned sapphire
blue-throated sapphire
Padparadscha sapphire
pink sapphire
Sapphire Beach
sapphire glass
sea sapphire
star sapphire