chodchod

Meanings

1. A form of oriental ruby, carbuncle or possibly jasper

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin chodchod, a transliteration of Hebrew כַּדְכֹד. The Latin word appears in the Vulgate translation of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew scriptures as one of the precious wares in the markets of Tyre, and the Douay–Rheims Bible translation of the same passage simply repeats the Latin word without translating it. The Hebrew word occurs in one other passage, where various translations render it as agate, jasper or ruby. The original meaning of it, however, could be garnet. Probably a doublet of chalcedony.