beryl
|ber-yl|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɪrəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɛrəl/
precious blue-green mineral/gem
Etymology
'beryl' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'beryllus', which came from Greek 'beryllos' referring to a precious blue-green stone.
'beryl' changed from the Greek word 'beryllos' into Latin 'beryllus', passed into Old French and Middle English as 'beril' or 'beryl', and eventually became the modern English 'beryl'.
Initially, it meant 'a precious blue-green (sea-colored) gemstone', and over time it has come to denote the mineral family and its gem varieties as well as the pale greenish-blue color associated with those gems.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a mineral family (beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate) that includes gem varieties such as emerald and aquamarine.
Specimens of beryl from the mine showed a range of colors from pale blue to deep green.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a gemstone composed of beryl (any of its gem varieties, e.g. emerald, aquamarine, morganite, heliodor).
She wore a pendant set with a pale green beryl.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a pale greenish-blue color resembling some beryl gemstones.
The artist chose a beryl shade for the background of the painting.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/29 12:46