onyx

[ on-iks, oh-niks ]

/ ˈɒn ɪks, ˈoʊ nɪks /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR onyx ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Mineralogy. a variety of chalcedony having straight parallel bands of alternating colors.Compare Mexican onyx.

(not used technically) an unbanded chalcedony dyed for ornamental purposes.

black, especially a pure or jet black.

Medicine/Medical. a nail of a finger or toe.

adjective

black, especially jet black.

Nearby words

Origin of onyx

1250–1300; Middle English onix < Latin onyx < Greek ónyx nail, claw, veined gem

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for onyx

By contrast this cup is made of gold, onyx, precious stones, and the stone agate.
Spain’s New ‘Holy Grail’: Jesus Couldn’t Afford That Kind of Bling|Candida Moss|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The 1952 onyx & diamond panther bracelet sold for $7,036,874, the highest ever paid for a bracelet or any Cartier at auction.
Buying the Royal Jewels|Martyn Gregory|December 3, 2010|DAILY BEAST
At the Men of ONYX booth, I decided to give the Butt Plug Toss a whirl.
Getting Whipped at Leather Pride|Spencer Morgan|June 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The huge reception hall was trimmed from floor to dome in onyx and gold.
The Root of Evil|Thomas Dixon

"I dare say you never saw an onyx clock floating around," I replied a little sharply.
The Case of Jennie Brice|Mary Roberts Rinehart
It is there described as of onyx or amethyst, wherein was discerned a representation of the flowers that budded on his rod.
Finger-Ring Lore|William Jones
He bade Philostratus approach and compare the features of Roxana, as carved in the onyx, with those of the young supplicant.
A Thorny Path [Per Aspera], Complete|Georg Ebers
Among the gems in the British Museum there is an onyx which has been hollowed out to form a receptacle for poison.
Poison Romance and Poison Mysteries|C. J. S. Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for onyx

onyx

/ (ˈɒnɪks) /

noun

a variety of chalcedony with alternating black and white parallel bands, used as a gemstone. Formula: SiO 2

a compact variety of calcite used as an ornamental stone; onyx marble. Formula: CaCO 3

Word Origin for onyx

C13: from Latin from Greek: fingernail (so called from its veined appearance)

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

Word Origin and History for onyx

onyx

mid-13c., from Old French oniche "onyx" (12c.), and directly from Latin onyx (genitive onychis), from Greek onyx "onyx-stone," originally "claw, fingernail" (see nail (n.)). So called because the mineral's color sometimes resembles that of a fingernail, pink with white streaks.

Medicine definitions for onyx