cornelian
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is cornelian? Cornelian is an alternate spelling of what’s more commonly called carnelian, a reddish gemstone. It is a variety of chalcedony, a type of quartz. It varies from semi-opaque to translucent, and it can be various shades of red or amber. When it is variegated or banded (meaning the stone shows stripes of white), it is sometimes called agate. It is considered a semiprecious gemstone, which is a label applied to gemstones that have a lesser value than those deemed precious. However, it is not commonly seen in fine jewelry and can be quite inexpensive. It is typically formed into a shape known as a cabochon, which is polished but not cut into facets. These are often used as beads in necklaces and bracelets. It is one of the traditional birthstones for the month of August (though in the UK it is considered one of the birthstones for the month of July). The word can also refer to a color—a shade of dark reddish-brown, like that of the gemstone. Example: The ancient pendant was made from a striking piece of banded cornelian.
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.
Pink mother-of-pearl earrings, ocean-hued amazonite bracelets and flame-tinged cornelian rings are all in full bloom in this versatile collection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2025
It was a cornelian seal, made in the grand manner; massively wrought, the gold smooth from age.
From In Mr. Knox's Country by Martin Ross
On that self-same day my dear mother gave me my father's silver-mounted sword, and the cornelian signet-ring, with the old family crest engraved upon it, which he used to wear.
From Eyes Like the Sea by Mór Jókai
Then he took the cup of tea, looked in the eyes that met his very frankly and pleasantly, and then his own rested upon a quaint-looking cornelian locket, which was evidently French.
From The Haute Noblesse A Novel by George Manville Fenn
It consists of a plain cornelian set in silver, with the following couplet engraved on the rim:— 'Against my King I do not fight, But for my King and kingdom's right.'
From Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867 With a Preliminary Notice of the earlier Library founded in the Fourteenth Century by William Dunn Macray
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.
