citrine, a. and n.
(ˈsɪtrɪn)
Also 5 cytryn(e, citryn(e, sitryne, 7 setryne.
[a. F. citrin, f. L. type *citrīn-us, f. citrus. Cf. It. citrino, etc.]
A. adj. Having the light yellow or greenish-yellow colour of a lemon or citron; lemon-coloured. citrine ointment: the common name for the ointment of nitrate of mercury.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 2167 His eyen were cytryne. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iv. x. (1495) 95 The skynne is yelowe other citrine. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 9 a, Citrine or yelowe choler. 1605 Timme Quersit. iii. 172 The wood aloes and citrine or yeallow sanders. 1876 Harley Mat. Med. 285 Citrine ointment is..much used. 1879 L. Wingfield My Lords of Strague II. v. 120 Dense, slippery citrine hair. |
B. n.
1. Citrine colour.
| 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. IV. 182/2 Orange and green produce citrine. 1884 Girl's Own Mag. 8 Mar. 354/1 The tertiary colours, olive, citrine, and russet. |
2. Min. A glassy variety of quartz having a wine-yellow colour; also called false topaz.
| 1748 Sir J. Hill Hist. Fossils 180 Our Jewellers have learnt from the French and Italians..to call it Citrine. 1794 Kirwan Min. (ed. 2) I. 241 Pale yellow [quartz], otherwise called Citrine. 1840 Browning Sordello vi. 448 Cool citrine-crystals. |
So † citrineness, quality or state of being citrine or lemon-yellow. † citrinity, Alch. [F. citrinité, med.L. citrinitas], = prec. † citrinize v., Alch., to render citrine.
| 1528 Paynel Salerne's Regim. B iij b, Vnnaturall coler is the fome of blud, whose coler is ruddy and clere, that is, citrine, in the laste degree of citrines. 1678 R. R[ussell] tr. Geber iii. ii. i. iv. 149 Citrinity or Yellowness is..a determinate Proportion of White and Red. Ibid. ii. i. iii. xii. 80 Which citrinizeth (or Colours) it with good Yellowness. |