carnelian

noun

car·​ne·​lian kär-ˈnēl-yən How to pronounce carnelian (audio)
: a hard red chalcedony used in jewelry

Examples of carnelian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The delicate intaglios, fashioned from amethyst, jasper and carnelian, range in diameter from 5 millimeters to 16 millimeters — bigger than a pencil eraser, smaller than a dime. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 1 May 2023 The Alhambra collection — Van Cleef & Arpels’ token of luck — features an alternating watch band of warm carnelian and rose gold clover-like shapes, and this installation at South Coast Plaza marks its pre-launch. Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2023 In Manhattan, for instance, there will be a limited-edition carnelian Big Apple necklace set in rose gold along with two limited-edition Happy Sport watches featuring a mobile apple, as well as a L.U.C. Quattro Spirit 25 Fifth Avenue Edition. Alexis Wolfe, ELLE, 13 Dec. 2022 And a beautiful example of Louis Comfort Tiffany daring eye, a lapis, turquoise and carnelian necklace inspired by a personal trip to Egypt in 1908. Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, 20 Sep. 2022 The other central element in the Perlée collection is a pop of color in the form of ornamental, opaque stones, including turquoise, black onyx, green malachite, carnelian, lapis lazuli, coral or mother-of-pearl. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 6 Sep. 2022 My vote goes to a four-strand set of blazing carnelian and gold, with pendants carved like the seedpods of poppies. Laura Jacobs, WSJ, 27 Aug. 2022 But there were also likely lapis and turquoise and carnelian. Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, 11 May 2022 These burials contained fine items, crafted from bronze, carnelian and other precious materials. Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carnelian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of cornelian, from Middle English corneline, from Anglo-French, perhaps from Old French cornele cornel cherry

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carnelian was in 1695

Dictionary Entries Near carnelian

Cite this Entry

“Carnelian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnelian. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carnelian

noun
car·​ne·​lian kär-ˈnēl-yən How to pronounce carnelian (audio)
: a hard tough reddish quartz used as a gem

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