cinnabar
Americannoun
-
a mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS, occurring in red crystals or masses: the principal ore of mercury.
-
red mercuric sulfide, used as a pigment.
-
bright red; vermillion.
noun
-
a bright red or brownish-red mineral form of mercuric sulphide (mercury(II) sulphide), found close to areas of volcanic activity and hot springs. It is the main commercial source of mercury. Formula: HgS. Crystal structure: hexagonal
-
the red form of mercuric sulphide (mercury(II) sulphide), esp when used as a pigment
-
a bright red to reddish-orange; vermilion
-
a large red-and-black European moth, Callimorpha jacobaeae: family Arctiidae (tiger moths, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of cinnabar
1350–1400; < Latin cinnabaris < Greek kinnábari < ?; replacing Middle English cynoper < Medieval Latin, Latin as above
Vocabulary lists containing cinnabar
Red
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Orange
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
