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.
-
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
/ 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
2
British
/ ˈæɡeɪt /
noun
agate
3
British
/ əˈɡeɪt /
adverb
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:
Gold and silver inlay work and green agate stones complete the garment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
The doorknob-size piece, inlaid with carnelian, agate and lapis lazuli flowers reminiscent of the Taj, exemplifies how even the smallest functional item would be meticulously crafted and decorated in a consistent style in Mughal workshops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Among his tasks in Metro was putting together the weather page, assembling all that agate type that listed highs and lows across the country.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2023
If you live inland and you can’t afford jade, you’re more likely to utilize other materials like obsidian or agate or whatever other natural gemstone that they had access to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2023
Her jewelry hangs there—slices of agate on long chains of raw crystal beads, collars set with moonstones, deep green bloodstones strung together, and an opal pendant, bright as fire in the sunlight.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Jacob and Lucy Agate watched It's a Wonderful Life at the sold-out Woolton Picture House on Christmas Eve before Jacob appeared on the big screen at the end of the film.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 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
One of the Douglas children was accused of “bringing a weapon to school for the purposes of attacking teachers,” but he had actually brought his Agate rock collection, the parents alleged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
L. N. Channing of the Agate Point radio transmitter station, addressed the defense commission meeting.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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
But beaches here mostly held smooth cobbles and agates, along with logs of fallen old-growth trees, some with two-story-high root balls resembling Medusa’s hair, tossed high onto the beach by storm waves.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 29, 2018
I won more agates and marbles than anyone in school, and gradually amassed hundreds of soldiers; finally leaving them to clutter up unreachable shelves.
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
He took his time about choosing three brown agates to take with him.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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