Sapphire

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sapphire \Sap"phire\, a.
     Of or resembling sapphire; sapphirine; blue. "The sapphire
     blaze." --Gray.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Sapphire \Sap"phire\ (? or ?; 277), n. [OE. saphir, F. saphir,
     L. sapphirus, Gr. ?, of Oriental origin; cf. Heb.
     sapp[imac]r.]
     1. (Min.) Native alumina or aluminium sesquioxide, {Al2O3};
        corundum; esp., the blue transparent variety of corundum,
        highly prized as a gem.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Of rubies, sapphires, and of pearl['e]s white.
                                                    --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Sapphire occurs in hexagonal crystals and also in
           granular and massive forms. The name sapphire is
           usually restricted to the blue crystals, while the
           bright red crystals are called Oriental rubies (see
           under {Ruby}), the amethystine variety Oriental
           amethyst (see under {Amethyst}), and the dull massive
           varieties corundum (a name which is also used as a
           general term to include all varieties). See {Corundum}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The color of the gem; bright blue.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.) Any humming bird of the genus {Hylocharis}, native
        of South America. The throat and breast are usually bright
        blue.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Star sapphire}, or {Asteriated sapphire} (Min.), a kind of
        sapphire which exhibits asterism.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Corundum \Co*run"dum\ (k[-o]*r[u^]n"d[u^]m), n.; pl. {Corundums}
     (k[-o]*r[u^]n"d[u^]mz). [Also corindon.] [From Hind. kurand
     corundum stone.] (Min.)
     The mineral alumina ({Al2O3}), as found native in a
     crystalline state. Transparent varieties are used as
     gemstones, including {sapphire}, which is the fine blue
     variety; the {oriental ruby}, or red sapphire; the {oriental
     amethyst}, or purple sapphire; and {adamantine spar}, the
     hair-brown variety. It is the hardest substance found native,
     next to the diamond.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     Note: The name corundum is sometimes restricted to the
           non-transparent or coarser kinds. {Emery} is a
           dark-colored granular variety, usually admixed with
           magnetic iron ore.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sapphire
       adj : having the color of a blue sapphire; "sapphire eyes"
       n 1: a precious transparent stone of rich blue corundum valued as
            a gemstone
       2: a transparent piece of sapphire that has been cut and
          polished and is valued as a precious gem
       3: a light shade of blue [syn: {azure}, {cerulean}, {lazuline},
           {sky-blue}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  68 Moby Thesaurus words for "sapphire":
     adamant, agate, alexandrite, amethyst, aquamarine, azure,
     azure-blue, azure-colored, azurean, azured, azureous, beryl,
     beryl-blue, berylline, bloodstone, blue, bluish, brilliant,
     carbuncle, carnelian, cerulean, ceruleous, cerulescent, chalcedony,
     chrysoberyl, chrysolite, citrine, coral, cyanean, dark-blue,
     deep-blue, demantoid, diamond, emerald, garnet, girasol,
     harlequin opal, heliotrope, hyacinth, jade, jadestone, jargoon,
     jasper, lapis lazuli, light-blue, lightish-blue, livid, moonstone,
     morganite, onyx, opal, pavonian, pavonine, peacock-blue, peridot,
     plasma, rose quartz, ruby, sapphirine, sard, sardonyx, sky-blue,
     sky-colored, sky-dyed, spinel, spinel ruby, topaz, turquoise
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Sapphire
     Associated with diamonds (Ex. 28:18) and emeralds (Ezek. 28:13);
     one of the stones in the high priest's breastplate. It is a
     precious stone of a sky-blue colour, probably the lapis lazuli,
     brought from Babylon. The throne of God is described as of the
     colour of a sapphire (Ex. 24:10; comp. Ezek. 1:26).
     

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Sapphire, NC
    Zip code(s): 28774