Wiktionary

cinnabar

English edit

 
Cinnabar mineral (1)

Etymology edit

First attested in the mid-15th century. From Middle English cynabare, from Old French cinabre, from Latin cinnabaris, from Ancient Greek κιννάβαρι (kinnábari), of unknown origin.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

cinnabar (countable and uncountable, plural cinnabars)

  1. A deep red mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS; the principal ore of mercury; such ore used as the pigment vermilion.
    Synonym: (obsolete) æthiops mineral
  2. A bright red colour tinted with orange.
    cinnabar:  
  3. (countable) A species of moth, Tyria jacobaeae, having red patches on its predominantly black wings.
    Synonym: cinnabar moth
    • 2015, Norman Maclean, A Less Green and Pleasant Land, page 223:
      There are a few day-flying exceptions such as hummingbird hawk-moths, silver Ys, cinnabars, scarlet tigers and burnets but, in general, knowledge of moths lags behind that of butterflies.
  4. (in “Cinnabar Panacea”) The Elixir of Life.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Adjective edit

cinnabar (comparative more cinnabar, superlative most cinnabar)

  1. Of a bright red colour tinted with orange.

Translations edit

See also edit

Further reading edit

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