topaz

[toh-paz]

noun

1. a mineral, a fluosilicate of aluminum, usually occurring in prismatic orthorhombic crystals of various colors, and used as a gem.

2. citrine.

3. either of two South American hummingbirds, Topaza pella or T. pyra, having chiefly red and crimson plumage and a yellowish-green throat with a topaz sheen.

topaz

/ ˈtəʊpæz /

noun

1. a white or colourless mineral often tinted by impurities, found in cavities in igneous rocks and in quartz veins. It is used as a gemstone. Composition: hydrated aluminium silicate. Formula: Al 2 SiO 4 (F,OH) 2 . Crystal structure: orthorhombic

2. a yellowish-brown variety of sapphire

3. another name for citrine

4. 1. a yellowish-brown colour, as in some varieties of topaz

   2. ( as adjective )

      topaz eyes

5. either of two South American hummingbirds, Topaza pyra and T. pella

topaz

1. A colorless, blue, yellow, brown, or pink orthorhombic mineral valued as a gem. Topaz occurs as transparent or translucent prisms in silica-rich igneous rocks, such as pegmatite, and in tin-bearing rock veins. Chemical formula: Al ₂ SiO ₄ (F,OH) ₂ .

2. Any of various yellow gemstones, especially a yellow variety of sapphire or corundum.

Other Word Forms

• topazine adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of topaz¹

1225–75; < Latin topazus < Greek tópazos; replacing Middle English topace < Old French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of topaz¹

C13: from Old French topaze, from Latin topazus, from Greek topazos

When To Use

What does topaz mean?

Topaz is a transparent gemstone that comes in a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, pink, and purple.Clear topaz is sometimes artificially treated to produce a blue color, among other colors. Topaz is commonly used in jewelry, especially its yellow and orange varieties.As a gemstone, topaz is considered semiprecious, which is a label given to some gemstones that are not as valuable as those considered precious.Topaz is the traditional birthstone for the month of November. It is sometimes confused with the other birthstone for November, citrine (sometimes known as false topaz or topaz quartz), due to having similar coloring in some cases. It is also sometimes confused with yellow sapphire for the same reason.Example: Your ring is beautiful—is that purple topaz?