balas

[ bal-uh s, bey-luh s ]

/ ˈbæl əs, ˈbeɪ ləs /

noun Mineralogy.

a rose-red variety of spinel.

Words nearby balas

balanorrhagia, balantidiasis, balantidium, balao, balarama, balas, balashikha, balata, balaton, balaustine, balayage

Origin of balas

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin balasius, variant of balascius < Arabic balakhsh, back formation from Persian Badakhshān, district near Samarkand, where gem is found

Also called balas ruby.

Definition for balas (2 of 2)

Bala

[ bey-luh ]

/ ˈbeɪ lə /

noun Douay Bible.

Bilhah.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for balas

About his neck was a baldric of balas rubies, and over his robe he wore the collar of the Order of the Garter.
Windsor Castle|William Harrison Ainsworth
After the death of Balas he laid siege to the Akra; and “the apostates, who hated their own nation,” appealed to Demetrius.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various
Mention has been made above of a stone frequently substituted for the true ruby, called the “spinel” or “balas” ruby.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various
The "rubies" of the poet's time were frequently ruby spinels, or the so-called "balas rubies" from Badakshan, in Afghan Turkestan.
Shakespeare and Precious Stones|George Frederick Kunz

Some dealers call reddish spinels "Balas ruby" (rose red), and orange red ones "rubicelle."
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public|Frank Bertram Wade

British Dictionary definitions for balas (1 of 2)

balas

/ (ˈbæləs, ˈbeɪ-) /

noun

a red variety of spinel, used as a gemstoneAlso called: balas ruby

Word Origin for balas

C15: from Old French balais, from Arabic bālakhsh, from Badhakhshān, region in Afghanistan where the gem is found

British Dictionary definitions for balas (2 of 2)

Bala

/ (ˈbælə) /

noun

Lake Bala a narrow lake in Gwynedd: the largest natural lake in Wales. Length: 6 km (4 miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012