onyx
(ˈɒnɪks, ˈəʊnɪks)
Forms: α. 3–4 oniche; β. 4–7 onix, 7– onyx.
[a. L. onyx, a. Gr. ὄνυξ nail, claw, onyx-stone; OF. oniche, onice, onique.]
1. A variety of quartz allied to agate, consisting of plane layers of different colours: much used for cameos.
| a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 288 Jacinctes and topaces And oniche of muchel grace. c 1305 Land Cokayne 92 Beril, onix, topasiune, Ametist and crisolite. 1382 Wyclif Ezek. xxviii. 13 Crisolitus, and onix, and berillus, saphirus, and carbuncle. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxx. 136 Ane of oniche, anoþer of cristall, anoþer of iaspre. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 16 b, Sardonix,..by commixture of the Onix which is white and Sardus which is red. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 615 The Indian Onyx hath certaine sparkes in it... As for the Arabian Onyches, there bee found of them blacke, with white circles. 1611 Bible Job xxviii. 16 It [wisedome] cannot be valued with the golde of Ophir, with the precious Onix, or the Saphire. 1658 Phillips, Onyx, a certain pretious Stone,..of whitish colour, resembling the colour of a man's naile. Some say it is the congealed juyce of a Tree called Onycha. 1739 Gray Let. in Poems (1775) 43 The glory of their collection, was a vase of an entire onyx, measuring at least five inches over, three deep, and of great thickness. 1861 C. W. King Ant. Gems (1866) 11 The common Onyx has two opaque layers, of different colours, usually in strong contrast to each other. |
† 2. = onycha. Obs. rare.
| 1611 Bible Ecclus. xxiv. 15, I yeelded a pleasant odour like the best mirrhe, as Galbanum and Onix [Coverd, Clowes], and sweet Storax [Gr. ὡς χαλβάνη καὶ ὄνυξ καὶ στακτή: Vulg. quasi storax et galbanus et ungula, whence Wyclif vngula]. |
3. Path. An opacity of the lower part of the cornea of the eye, caused by an infiltration of pus behind it or between its layers, and resembling a finger-nail.
| 1706 Phillips, Onyx,..Also a Sore or gathering of Matter under the horny Coat of the Eye, the same as Hypopyon. 1799 R. Hooper Med. Dict., Onyx, an abscess, or collection of pus between the lamellæ of the cornea; so called from its resemblance to the stone called onyx. 1878 T. Bryant Pract. Surg. I. 317. 1879 St. George's Hosp. Rep. IX. 494 One..had an onyx involving two-thirds of one cornea. |
4. attrib. and Comb., as onyx-cameo, onyx stone; onyx-marble = onychite.
| 1535 Coverdale 1 Chron. xxx. 2 Onix stones..& stones of dyuerse coloures. 1611 Bible Gen. ii. 12 There is bdellium and the onyx stone. a 1644 Sandys (J.), The blue-ey'd saphir, or rich onyx stone. 1866 Geo. Eliot F. Holt i. (1868) 10 Her hands..lay on her folded black-clad arms like finely-cut onyx cameos. 1892 Dana Min. (ed. 6) 268 In the art it is often now called Oriental Alabaster or Onyx-Marble. |
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Sense 4 in Dict. becomes 4 a. Add: [4.] b. attrib. passing into adj. Possessing or characterized by the translucent, striated quality of onyx.
| 1890 Kipling in Macm. Mag. Apr. 467/1 His big onyx eyes. 1912 W. B. Yeats in Poetry (Chicago) Dec. 67 All wisdom shut into his onyx eyes. Our Father Rosicross sleeps in his tomb. 1976 Star (Sheffield) 26 Nov. (Advt.), 1973 Cortina GXL 2000 c.c., onyx green: {pstlg}950. |