oriental emerald

noun

: a green corundum used as a gem
In a way this is odd, since, unlike rubies and sapphires, today's commercial emeralds are a green-tinted form not of corundum but of beryl, a different mineral entirely. Yet there is a green corundum, too, known commercially as "Oriental emerald," which was not distinguished from green beryl in antiquity.'Philologos', The Jewish Daily Forward, 14 May 2004

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oriental emerald was in 1802

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Cite this Entry

“Oriental emerald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oriental%20emerald. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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