emerald

1 of 2

noun

em·​er·​ald ˈe-mə-rəld How to pronounce emerald (audio)
ˈem-rəld
1
: a rich green variety of beryl prized as a gemstone
2
: any of various green gemstones (such as synthetic corundum or demantoid)

emerald

2 of 2

adjective

: brightly or richly green

Did you know?

Highly valued as gemstones, emeralds are a grass-green variety of beryl. The capacity of emeralds to deflect light and to break white light into its component colors is not high, so cut stones display little brilliancy or fire (flashes of color). The color that gives this gem its value comes from the presence of small amounts of chromium. The most important production of fine-quality gem material is Colombia; emeralds are also mined in Russia, Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Synthetic emeralds are identical to natural crystals and may rival them in color and beauty.

Examples of emerald in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The walls of the historical church feature intricate mosaics and the Pala d'Oro, a Byzantine altar is made from garnets, amethysts, sapphires, emeralds and hundreds of other precious gemstones. Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2024 Rubies, sapphires, emeralds and seed pearls are peppered through the design. Megan Specia, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024 In This Article How to Get Around Trending Videos Florida hits differently in the Panhandle, where the sand is a brighter a shade of white, the water a deeper hue of emerald and blue, and a distinct and delightful Southern inflection permeates the air. Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2024 Today, hopeful fiancés are pinning on being proposed to with a tourmaline, emerald or sapphire instead. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024 The pop of rubies (which have been trending right behind emeralds and pink Barbiecore gemstones) stood out and might just get ahead of the other stones with Swifties as well as all jewelry enthusiasts. Beth Bernstein, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Aside from a few vibrant sculptures, most of the color comes from the bottles behind the bar, Curaçao and absinthe glistening like translucent sapphires and emeralds. The Indianapolis Star, 19 Jan. 2024 The Imperial State Crown, which dates back to the 1937 coronation of King George VI, is made of gold and set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and four rubies. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023 In a word: flawless. 2015 Queen Bey sparkled on the red carpet in this deep V-neck Proenza Schouler gown and diamonds and emeralds galore ($10 million worth of Lorraine Schwartz jewels, to be exact). Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 5 Feb. 2024
Adjective
In the emerald countryside of Wales sits a manor named Nantclwyd Hall. Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Her new piece of jewelry included a large emerald stone in the center with diamonds in a halo effect around the gemstone. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Once a year, around Sept. 11, a woman calls Ms. Carryl to see whether her brother’s gold ring with an emerald stone has turned up. Chelsia Rose Marcius Lanna Apisukh, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Rising above the cacophony of distractions and all of the ancillary bombast, in the middle of the emerald rectangle at the center of a stadium, Patrick Mahomes was elevating, lifting to a place where athletes become eternal. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2024 Flamboyant pigments of emerald, turquoise, and rose delighted the eye across the indoor and outdoor spaces. Ian Malone, Vogue, 8 Dec. 2023 The hairstyle showed off her stunning emerald statement earrings, which were on loan from the Queen herself. Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 As good as that hot spot is, the more intimate way to experience the ubiquitous emerald paddies is by bicycle, which many Ubud hotels and tour companies offer led by local guides. Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2023 The emerald fringes of conifers browned overnight, as if singed by flame. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 24 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emerald.' 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

Noun

Middle English emerallde, from Anglo-French esmeralde, from Vulgar Latin *smaralda, from Latin smaragdus, from Greek smaragdos — more at smaragd

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1508, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emerald was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near emerald

Cite this Entry

“Emerald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emerald. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

emerald

1 of 2 noun
em·​er·​ald ˈem-(ə-)rəld How to pronounce emerald (audio)
: a rich green gem

emerald

2 of 2 adjective
: brightly or richly green

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