agate
noun
a variegated chalcedony showing curved, colored bands or other markings.
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agate
American
[ag-it]
/ ˈæg ɪt /
noun
-
agates
plural
-
a variegated chalcedony showing curved, colored bands or other markings.
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a playing marble made of this substance, or of glass in imitation of it.
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Printing. a 5½-point type of a size between pearl and nonpareil.
agate
1
British
/ əˈɡeɪt /
adverb
Agate
2
British
/ ˈæɡeɪt /
noun
agate
3
British
/ 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
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a playing marble of this quartz or resembling it
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Also called: ruby. printing (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 5 1/ 2 point
agate
Scientific
/ ăg′ĭt /
Usage
What is agate? Agate is a variety of the mineral chalcedony (a type of quartz), specifically one with bands or stripes or other markings. It is often considered a gemstone. It can occur in a wide variety of colors, including white, yellow, red, and black. The key quality of agate is its banding, which is crystal that has formed in the rock. Agate is considered a semiprecious stone, which is a label assigned to some stones that have a lesser value than those considered precious. When used in jewelry, agate is often cut into a shape called a cabochon, which is polished but not cut into facets. When loose (not set in jewelry), they are often sold in the form of a geode or slab. Several forms of chalcedony are considered agates if they contain banding, including the gemstones onyx and sardonyx. Specific kinds of agate are named for their colors and patterns. For example, moss agate features a green pattern that resembles moss. Agate is one of the traditional birthstones for the months of May and June. It is associated with the zodiac sign Gemini. Example: I bought a beautiful yellow agate geode at the rock and crystal shop.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
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
Explanation
Agate is a gemstone that's similar to quartz. Jewelry, including pins and earrings, is sometimes made from agate. Agate is mainly found in volcanic rock, and it's often distinguished by its lines or bands, a result of silicate material layering as it filled in cracks in these ancient rocks. Agate has long been used for carving ornaments and vessels, including beads, marbles, jewelry, mortars, and pestles. The name agate comes from the Greek akhates, the name of a river in Sicily where the stone was commonly found about 3,000 years ago.
Vocabulary lists containing agate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Joel Otterson’s intimate sculptures set moss agate in silver and brass at Ehrlich Steinberg.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
The star of this look into the ancient, not widely known Mycenaean kingdom of Pylos was a tiny agate, barely 1.3 inches wide, making its public debut outside Europe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
They came up with a wallcovering collection full of leopard prints, swirling sea agate patterns, and golden Victorian keys and dressmaking scissors.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2023
A writer's block crystals gift set available through Etsy offers agate, carnelian, tiger eye, citrine, amethyst and clear quartz crystals to help those struggling to formulate sentences.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2022
“I suppose we don’t necessarily need to find a snakeskin agate precisely,” said Kaori.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
A tireless researcher, Bauer tries to keep a record of her purchases, from the colorful vintage Bauer pottery ringware in her kitchen to the Akro Agate glassware in her guest room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025
Unlike Vashon Island or the San Juan Islands, Bainbridge is connected to the Kitsap Peninsula via the Agate Pass Bridge on the island’s northern end and therefore not wholly reliant on the ferries.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
Latvian teenager Agate Caune used a bold strategy in heat one of the 5,000.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
Joe Agate, 27, from Chorley in Lancashire, was proudly wearing an England top around the Souk on Wednesday, but at the game he was "in disguise in The Red Wall".
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2022
Another benefit dance was held, and the enlisted men at the Agate Point station were invited as guests of honor.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Glossy agates and tiny-dice surprises interrupt the labyrinth’s blue, gray, white and orange river stone path.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2023
Experts from the University of Leeds and a specialist spectroscopy company were also involved, and they found she had carnelians and agates which she collected in Scarborough, where she worked as a governess.
From BBC ● May 21, 2022
It is hard not to be charmed by Lowell’s hyperventilating report on his agates and turtles and toy soldiers, but the word “mania” suggests that he suspected the darker fortunes to come.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 13, 2017
As I dug up the rocks to cover her, I found shells and agates and chunks of perfectly weathered beach glass.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 11, 2016
All I saw at first was a silver frame studded with emeralds and agates and pearls.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
