onyx

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A banded variety of chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz.
  2. A jet-black color, named after the gemstone.
  3. Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Horaga.
adj
  1. Jet-black; often, glossily so.
name
  1. A census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States.

Pronunciation

/ˈɒnɪks/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-onyx.wav

Word forms

onyx onyxes

Etymology

From Middle English onix (c. 1300), earlier oniche (c. 1250), from Old French oniche or onix, from Latin onyx, from Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux, “onyx”). Doublet of unguis.

Synonyms

Related words

Derived words

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.