aquamarine
Americannoun
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a transparent, light-blue or greenish-blue variety of beryl, used as a gem.
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light blue-green or greenish blue.
noun
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a pale greenish-blue transparent variety of beryl used as a gemstone
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a pale blue to greenish-blue colour
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( 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.
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 can be described as a light teal. It's also the name of a gemstone, one of the birth stones for people 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.
Vocabulary lists containing aquamarine
Blue
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Elements of the Universe: Aqua ("Water")
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Green
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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.
A short ride brought me to South Pointe Park and to its pier jutting 450 feet into the aquamarine Atlantic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
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
But if the Sierra Madre does finally crumble into the aquamarine waters of the South China Sea - or West Philippine Sea as its called in Manila - what happens then?
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2023
When the moment arrived around midday, the expectant swarm of visitors on the town’s beach watched as bands of palest aquamarine and deep slate gray passed across the sea.
From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023
But right now she was coming toward her, those aquamarine fingernails poised like talons.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
