balas
(ˈbæləs)
Forms: 5– balas; also 5 balace, -ase, -ess, -is, -eys, 6 bales, -ays, ballass, -ais, 6–8 balasse, 6–9 balass, ballas, 7 -ase, -eys, balais, (ballest).
[a. OF. balais, balai, cogn. with Pr. balays, balach, It. balascio, Sp. balax, med.L. balascus (Marco Polo), balascius, -asius, ad. Arab. balakhsh, f. Pers. Badakhshān, the district near Samarcand where they are found.]
A delicate rose-red variety of the spinel ruby.
| 1414 Test. Ebor. (1836) I. 363 Unum annulum de auro, cum uno balase. 1423 Jas. I. King's Q. ii. xxvii, Grete balas lemyng as the fyre. 1439 E.E. Wills (1882) 118 My Noych with my Baleys. 1494 Fabyan vii. 540 Dyamantys, rubyes and balessys. 1577 Holinshed Chron. III. 801/1 A great bauderike about his necke of great balasses. 1877 W. Jones Finger-ring L. 247 Sapphires, balasses, diamonds. |
b. Now usually balas-ruby.
| 1596 Danett Comines Hist. Fr. (1614) 279 Fowerteene Rubies ballais. 1611 Cotgr., Ballay, a balleys Rubie. 1623 Jas. I. in Four C. Eng. Lett. 46 The collar of great ballest rubies. 1822 Scott Nigel v, A carcanet of large balas rubies. 1874 Westropp Prec. Stones 18 The balas ruby is of a delicate rose-pink colour, showing a blue tint when looked through. |