aquamarine

American  

[ak-wuh-muh-reen, ah-kwuh-] / ˌæk wə məˈrin, ˌɑ kwə- /

noun

• aquamarines
  plural

1. a transparent, light-blue or greenish-blue variety of beryl, used as a gem.

2. light blue-green or greenish blue.

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aquamarine British  

/ ˌækwəməˈriːn /

noun

1. a pale greenish-blue transparent variety of beryl used as a gemstone

2. 1. a pale blue to greenish-blue colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      an aquamarine dress

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Usage

What does aquamarine mean? Aquamarine is a light-blue or greenish-blue transparent gemstone. It is a variety of the mineral beryl. The color of aquamarine can resemble pale blue or blue-green sea water—which is what gives it its name. The word aquamarine is also used to refer to such a color, as in The beautiful aquamarine dress stood out among the other muted tones. Aquamarine is considered a semiprecious gemstone, which is a label applied to a class of gems that have a commercial value that’s less than that of stones labeled precious, such as diamonds. Aquamarine is one of the birthstones for the month of March, the other being bloodstone. It is associated with the zodiac sign Pisces. Example: My girlfriend bought me a beautiful aquamarine ring as a way to remember our time snorkeling in the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aquamarines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aquamarine

First recorded in 1590–1600, aquamarine is from Latin aqua marīna “sea water” (named from its color). See aqua, marine

Explanation

Aquamarine is a blue-green color that is sometimes described as a light teal. It's also the name of a gemstone, one of the birth stones for people who were born in March. The aquamarine mineral, which looks like a pale green-blue crystal, got its name in the 16th century from the Latin aqua marina, or "sea water." It wasn't until the 1840s that aquamarine was used to describe the color itself. If you love the shade that evokes ocean water, somewhere between green and blue, you can paint your bedroom walls aquamarine, knit a sweater in aquamarine, or buy yourself some aquamarine jewelry.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aquamarine aquamarines

Along with hundreds of homes, the developer plans an 18-hole golf course and a marina on aquamarine Flathead Lake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Now, those taxpayer millions are peeling off and floating away in ragged, aquamarine chunks.

From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026

Chephrena and Geneva are no exception to the rule — the former has painted herself head-to-toe in aquamarine blue, with red contacts to match.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025

Push on to the lake, where the vibrant yellows of the trees contrast brightly against the brown-gray lake basin and the aquamarine water.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2023

I can’t wait to get home and see those colors on the page: aquamarine, magenta, limepeel, peacock blue, and the others.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

The crown glitters with stones including tourmalines, white and yellow topazes, rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, peridot, zircons, spinel and aquamarines.

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2023

For de Kooning, its color palette is highly unusual, dominated by deep blues and aquamarines.

From New York Times ● Sep. 16, 2022

Beneath them lay a platinum armature to which were affixed 400 additional carats of stones — turquoise cabochon, faceted diamonds, aquamarines all contrived to imitate the effect of sunlight refracted through water.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2015

And when it comes to color, Picasso, so given to dull greens and nougat browns, is no match for Matisse's vermilions and aquamarines.

From Time Magazine Archive

The aquamarines near the shoreline, the azures of deeper waters, the eggshell blues beneath by grandmother’s eyes, the fragile indigos tracking her hands.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• blue-green
• olive