emerald

/ˈɛmərəld/

/ˈɛmrəld/

Other forms: emeralds

Emerald is a green gemstone. It's also the name of this particular shade of green. On St. Patrick's Day, you'll see the color emerald everywhere — in cupcake icing and maybe even in your beer.

Green things are called emerald because of the emerald itself, which is a green, transparent form of beryl and a precious gemstone. Gemstones are found in many forms of jewelry, and they're especially loved in Ireland, which is also known as the Emerald Isle. Like many gemstone names, emerald has a long pedigree in many languages: most immediately French, Latin, and Greek.

Definitions of emerald

1. noun

   a green transparent form of beryl; highly valued as a gemstone
   type of:

   beryl

   the chief source of beryllium; colored transparent varieties are valued as gems

   transparent gem

   a gemstone having the property of transmitting light without serious diffusion
2. noun

   a transparent piece of emerald that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
   type of:

   gem, jewel, precious stone

   a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
3. noun

   the green color of an emerald
   type of:

   green, greenness

   green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass