a semiprecious stone consisting of either jadeite or nephrite. It varies in colour from white to green and is used for making ornaments and jewellery
(as modifier)jade ornaments
the green colour of jade
(as modifier)a jade skirt
Derived Formsjadelike, adjective
Word Origin for jade
C18: from French, from Italian giada, from obsolete Spanish piedra de ijada colic stone (literally: stone of the flank, because it was believed to cure renal colic); ijada, from Vulgar Latin īliata (unattested) flanks, from Latin īlia, plural of īlium; see ileum
jade
2
noun
an old overworked horse; nag; hack
derogatory, orfacetiousa woman considered to be ill-tempered or disreputable
"bored by continual indulgence," 1630s; past participle adjective from jade (v.).
jade
n.1
ornamental stone, 1721, earlier iada (1590s), from French le jade, error for earlier l'ejade, from Spanish piedra de (la) ijada (1560s), "stone of colic, pain in the side" (jade was thought to cure this), from Vulgar Latin *iliata, from Latin ilia (plural) "flanks, kidney area" (see ileum).
jade
n.2
"worn-out horse," late 14c., "cart horse," of uncertain origin. Barnhart suggests a variant of yaid, yald "whore," literally "mare," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse jalda "mare," from Finno-Ugric (cf. Mordvin al'd'a "mare"). But OED finds the assumption of a Scandinavian connection "without reason." As a term of abuse for a woman, it dates from 1550s.
jade
v.
"to weary, tire out, make dull," c.1600, from jade (n.2). Related: Jaded; jading.
A hard gemstone that is pale green or white and consists either of the mineral jadeite (a pyroxene) or the mineral nephrite (an amphibole). It usually forms within metamorphic rocks.
