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am⋅e⋅thyst

[am-uh-thist]

–noun

1.	a purple or violet quartz, used as a gem.

2.	a purplish tint.

–adjective

3.	having the color of amethyst.

4.	containing or set with an amethyst or amethysts: an amethyst brooch.

Origin:
1250–1300; < L amethystus < Gk améthystos not intoxicating, not intoxicated (so called from a belief that it prevented drunkenness), equiv. to a- a- ⁶ + methys- (var. s. of methýein to intoxicate; see methylene ) + -tos verbal adj. suffix; r. ME ametist < AF ametiste < L

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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am·e·thyst (ām'ə-thĭst) Pronunciation Key
n.

A purple or violet form of transparent quartz used as a gemstone.
A purple variety of corundum used as a gemstone.
A moderate purple to grayish reddish purple.

[Middle English amatist, from Old French, from Latin amethystus, from Greek amethustos, not drunk or intoxicating, remedy for intoxication, amethyst : a-, not; see a-¹ + *methuskein, to intoxicate (from methuein, to be drunk, from methu, wine; see medhu- in Indo-European roots).]

am'e·thys'tine (-thĭs'tĭn, -tīn') adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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amethyst

violet quartz, c.1290, from O.Fr. ametiste, from L. amethystus, from Gk. amethystos "amethyst," from a- "not" + methyskein "make drunk," from methys "wine," based on the stone's ancient reputation for preventing drunkenness. Spelling restored from M.E. ametist.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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amethyst
adjective
1.	of a moderate purple color
noun
1.	a transparent purple variety of quartz; used as a gemstone

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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amethyst (ām'ə-thĭst) Pronunciation Key
A purple or violet, transparent form of quartz used as a gemstone. The color is caused by the presence of iron compounds in the crystal structure.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Amethyst

Am"e*thyst\, [F. ametiste, amatiste, F. am['e]thyste, L. amethystus, fr. Gr. ? without drunkenness; as a noun, a remedy for drunkenness, the amethyst, supposed to have this power; 'a priv. + ? to be drunken, ? strong drink, wine. See Mead.]

1. (Min.) A variety of crystallized quartz, of a purple or bluish violet color, of different shades. It is much used as a jeweler's stone.

Oriental amethyst, the violet-blue variety of transparent crystallized corundum or sapphire.

2. (Her.) A purple color in a nobleman's escutcheon, or coat of arms.