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.

Words related to onyx

jet, coal, slate, pitch, jetty, sable, brunet, ebony, charcoal, sloe, obsidian, raven, clouded, dingy, dusky, inky, livid, murky, pitch-black, pitchy

Words nearby onyx

onychoschizia, onychosis, onychotillomania, onychotomy, onymous, onyx, onyx marble, onyxis, onz, oo gauge, oo-

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

Medicine definitions for onyx

onyx

[ ŏn′ĭks ]

n.

unguis

A collection of pus in the anterior chamber of the eye.

Science definitions for onyx

onyx

[ ŏn′ĭks ]

A type of chalcedony that occurs in straight and parallel bands of different colors, often black and white.