beryl

¹ American  

[ber-uhl] / ˈbɛr əl /

noun

1. a mineral, beryllium aluminum silicate, Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O 18 , usually green, but also blue, rose, white, and golden, and both opaque and transparent, the latter variety including the gems emerald and aquamarine: the principal ore of beryllium.

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Beryl ² American  

[ber-il] / ˈbɛr ɪl /

noun

1. a first name.

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beryl British  

/ ˈbɛrɪl /

noun

1. a white, blue, yellow, green, or pink mineral, found in coarse granites and igneous rocks. It is a source of beryllium and is sometimes used as a gemstone; the green variety is emerald, the blue is aquamarine. Composition: beryllium aluminium silicate. Formula: Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O 18 . Crystal structure: hexagonal

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beryl Scientific  

/ bĕr′əl /

1. A usually green or bluish-green hexagonal mineral occurring as transparent to translucent prisms in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Transparent varieties, such as emeralds and aquamarine, are valued as gems. Beryl is the main source of the element beryllium. Chemical formula: Be ₃ Al ₂ Si ₆ O ₁₈ .

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Usage

What does beryl mean? Beryl is a mineral whose transparent varieties are used as gemstones. Both emerald and aquamarine are varieties of beryl. Beryl gems occur in a variety of colors, including green (emerald), green-blue (aquamarine), yellow (heliodor), and pink (morganite). Beryl is sometimes considered an alternate birthstone for the month of November, and it is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio. Beryl is the main source of the element beryllium, which is used to make alloys. Example: The most popular form of beryl is the radiant emerald.

Other Word Forms

• beryline adjective

Etymology

Origin of beryl

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English beril, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin bērillus, from Latin bēryllus, from Greek bḗryllos, bērýllion, from Prakrit veruḷiya (compare Sanskrit vaiḍūrya ), from Pali veḷuriya, originally referring to white beryl or quartz, of uncertain Dravidian origin, perhaps after Belur, Karnataka, where the mineral was mined (akin to Kannada biḷi “white” + ūru “habitation, town”)

Example Sentences

With no local testing or controls of exports, secondary minerals like tantalum, beryl and tin were being shipped out undetected and untaxed.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

The emerald, Brazilian authorities say, was discovered in a beryl mine in the country in 2001 and later smuggled to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2024

Before casting off in water as smooth as polished beryl, Footen attaches a GoPro MAX camera onto an industrial tripod in his Seastream Angler kayak.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 8, 2022

If the quartz can’t scratch the specimen, it might be beryl or corundum, which are harder than quartz.

From Scientific American • Sep. 3, 2021

The armor had been made of silver and gold, the knights of jade and beryl and onyx and tourmaline, of amber and opal and amethyst, each as tall'as her little finger.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• blue-green
• olive