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chrysoberyl

American  
[kris-uh-ber-uhl] / ˈkrɪs əˌbɛr əl /

noun

  1. a mineral, beryllium aluminate, BeAl 2 O 4 , occurring in green or yellow crystals, sometimes used as a gem.


chrysoberyl British  
/ ˈkrɪsəˌbɛrɪl /

noun

  1. a rare very hard greenish-yellow mineral consisting of beryllium aluminate in orthorhombic crystalline form and occurring in coarse granite: used as a gemstone in the form of cat's eye and alexandrite. Formula: BeAl 2 O 4

"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

Etymology

Origin of chrysoberyl

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin chrȳsoberyllus < Greek chrȳsobḗryllos, equivalent to chrȳso- chryso- + bḗryllos beryl

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:

Another mineral species which, like spinel, has just three elements in its composition is chrysoberyl.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Frank Bertram Wade

Another important variety is that of the chrysoberyl called "cymophane."

From The Chemistry, Properties and Tests of Precious Stones by John Mastin

Leaving the corundum gems we come next to chrysoberyl.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Frank Bertram Wade

Ruby and sapphire are scratched by diamond alone, while chrysoberyl, topaz and spinel scratch all the remaining stones, although they do themselves yield to the scratch of ruby and sapphire.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 1082, September 26, 1896 by Various

It never occurs naturally in the free state, but is always combined, usually with silica or alumina, or both; as in the minerals phenacite, chrysoberyl, beryl or emerald, euclase, and danalite.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section F, G and H by Project Gutenberg

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