cornelian
Americannoun
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Usage
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.
“Right now, around the Capitol columns, we have a lot of what we call cornelian cherries, which are not true cherries at all but actually a type of dogwood,” he said.
From Washington Post
Perhaps the Cornelian Rose may have been striped red and white like cornelian stone, and like our York and Lancaster Rose.
From Project Gutenberg
You will, perhaps, recollect that I alluded to my having met abroad the heroine of the cornelian p�t� anecdote.
From Project Gutenberg
As in Japan, every adult male has his seal, of agate or cornelian among the rich, and of brass or silver among the poor.
From Project Gutenberg
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 Project Gutenberg
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.
