amethyst
(ˈæmɪθɪst)
Forms: 3 ametist, 4 ame-, amatistus, 4–6 amatyst(e, 5 ametiste, 5–7 amatist, 6 amitist, amates, 6–7 amatites, 6–8 amethist, 7 amæthist, 7– amethyst, (4 amaffised).
[a. OFr. ametiste, amatiste, ad. L. amethyst-us, a. Gr. ἀµέθυστ -ος, prop. adj. ‘not drunken’ (f. ἀ priv. + *µέθυστος, verbal adjective f. µεθύσκ-ειν to intoxicate, f. µέθυ wine), applied subst. to this stone (as also to a herb), from a notion that it was a preventive of intoxication. In end of 16th c. the word began to be refashioned after the Latin, though the earlier amatist was still usual in early part of 17th.]
1. A precious stone of a clear purple or bluish violet colour, of different degrees of intensity, consisting of quartz or rock-crystal coloured by manganese, or, according to Heintz, by a compound of iron and soda.
| c 1290 Cokaygne in E.E.P. (1862) 158 Ametist and crisolite. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 1015 Þe amatyst purpre with ynde blente. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. ix. (1495) 557 Amatistus is purpre red in colour medelyd wyth colour of uyolette. 1477 Norton Ord. Alch. in Ashm. 1652 v. 65 The Amatist followeth the Ruby in dignity. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 569 Rubeis reid..amates that courtlie war and cleir. 1580 Sidney Arcadia ii. (1654) 141 The bloodie shafts of Cupids war, With amatists they headed are. 1596 Lodge Marg. of Amer. 79 The amethist staieth drunkennesse. 1611 Bible Rev. xxi. 20 The twelfth an Amethyst [Wyclif, ametistus; Tindale, Genev. amatist; Rhem. amethyste]. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xv. 241 The rich Ruby, Pearle, and Amatist. 1727 Thompson Summer 151 The purple streaming Amethyst is thine. 1874 Westropp Prec. Stones 41 The finest amethysts are brought from India, Persia, Ceylon, Brazil, and Siberia. |
oriental amethyst: a rare violet or amethyst-coloured variety of Corundum or Sapphire.
| 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v., Oriental Amethysts are found in Calecut and Bisnagar. 1874 Westropp Prec. Stones 16 The violet variety of corundum is termed the oriental amethyst. It may be distinguished from the ordinary amethyst by its superior brilliancy. |
2. fig.
| 1818 Keats Endym. i. 27 Western cloudiness, that takes The semblance of gold rocks..palaces And towers of amethyst. c 1875 Longfellow Palingen. i, The rolling meadows of amethyst. |
3. Her. The colour of the amethyst, purple violet.
| 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie 105 He beareth on a wreathe ‘Topaze’ and ‘Saphiere’ an Alcian, volant, of the ‘Amatist’ mixte with ‘Pearle.’ 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict., Amethist, a Term in Heraldry, signifying the Purple Colour in the Coat of a Nobleman. |
4. attrib. quasi-adj.; = amethystine 2.
| 1601 Holland Pliny ix. xxxviii. (1634) 259 Rich Amethyst or purple violet colour. 1791 Hamilton Berthollet's Dyeing I. Introd. 11 The amethyst purple had the colour of the stone so called. 1879 E. Clerke in Cornh. Mag. June 724 The savage sculpture of their stony ribs accentuated by amethyst shadow. |