amethyst means having a colour similar to that of the gemstone. It carries an Arena rating of 1664, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, amethyst ranks #1,176 of 13,218 for Most Vivid Words, #1,769 of 13,218 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,555 of 13,218 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,572 of 13,218 for Most Ingenious Words.
amethyst is pronounced /ˈæm.ə.θɪst/.
Why “amethyst” is a great word
A transparent purple to violet variety of quartz prized as a gemstone, or the particular shade of purple it embodies. From Middle English ametist, from Old French ametiste, from Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος (améthustos, 'not drunk'), from ἀ- (a-, 'not') + μεθύω (methúō, 'to be drunk'), from μέθυ (méthu, 'wine'), based on the ancient belief that the stone could prevent intoxication. Unlike quartz, a broad mineral family, or the generic color purple, amethyst specifies that gem-quality, violet-tinged silica whose hue is tinged with legend. It is the cold, crystalline weight of a bishop's ring; the faint, translucent stain in a cathedral window; the imagined, futile barrier of a goblet carved from stone against the warmth of wine—a color and a substance forever attempting to sober a world that insists on its own intoxication.
Etymology
From Middle English ametist, from Old French ametiste (French améthyste), from Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος (améthustos, “not drunk”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μεθύω (methúō, “to be drunk”), from μέθυ (méthu, “wine”).
The name was based on the ancient belief that amethyst gemstones could prevent intoxication. People in ancient Greece and Rome would wear amethyst or drink from cups made of amethyst to ward off the effects of alcohol.
adj
- Having a colour similar to that of the gemstone
name
- A female given name.“The Australian rapper Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Amelia Kelly.”
noun
- A transparent purple to violet variety of quartz with traces of manganese, used as a gemstone.“The burning evening sun lighted with mellow gold the coats of the fierce little tiger-kittens — orange silk with stripes of black velvet — the broken amethysts and ruined emeralds of the poor bird's train cruelly scattered over the trampled grass”
- A purple colour.
- The tincture purpure, when blazoning by precious stones.“The Field is Topaz, a Lion rampant Amethyst [...]”
Words closest in meaning
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