agate
[ ag-it ]
/ ˈæg ɪt /
noun
a variegated chalcedony showing curved, colored bands or other markings.
a playing marble made of this substance, or of glass in imitation of it.
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anchorite
Origin of agate
1150–1200; Middle English ac(c)ate, achate, agaten (compare Dutch agaat, Old Saxon agāt, Old High German agat), apparently < Old French agathe or Italian agata (initial stress) ≪ Medieval Latin achātēs < Greek achā́tēs
OTHER WORDS FROM agate
ag·ate·like, ag·a·toid, adjectiveWords nearby agate
agassiz, agastric, agastrophus, agastya, agata, agate, agate line, agateware, agatha, agatho, agathocles
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for agate
British Dictionary definitions for agate (1 of 3)
agate1
/ (ˈæɡɪt) /
noun
an impure microcrystalline form of quartz consisting of a variegated, usually banded chalcedony, used as a gemstone and in making pestles and mortars, burnishers, and polishers. Formula: SiO 2
a playing marble of this quartz or resembling it
Also called: ruby printing, US and Canadian (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 5 1/2 point
Word Origin for agate
C16: via French from Latin achātēs, from Greek akhatēs
British Dictionary definitions for agate (2 of 3)
agate2
/ (əˈɡeɪt) /
adverb
Northern English dialect on the way
Word Origin for agate
C16: a-² + gate³
British Dictionary definitions for agate (3 of 3)
Agate
/ (ˈæɡeɪt) /
noun
James (Evershed). 1877–1947, British theatre critic; drama critic for The Sunday Times (1923–47) and author of a nine-volume diary Ego (1935–49)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for agate
agate
[ ăg′ĭt ]
A type of very fine-grained quartz found in various colors that are arranged in bands or in cloudy patterns. The bands form when water rich with silica enters empty spaces in rock, after which the silica comes out of solution and forms crystals, gradually filling the spaces from the outside inward. The different colors are the result of various impurities in the water.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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