Wiktionary

onyx

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English onix (c. 1300), earlier oniche (c. 1250), from Old French oniche or onix, from Latin onyx, from Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux, “onyx”).[1] Doublet of unguis.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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onyx (countable and uncountable, plural onyxes)

  2. (mineralogy) A banded variety of chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz.
    • 2023 September 23, Tom Robbins, “Suite dreams”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 1:
      People talk about using marble in the bathrooms. Marble wasn't good enough for use—we have onyx!
  3. A jet-black color, named after the gemstone.
    onyx:  
  4. Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Horaga.

Derived terms

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Black banded onyx

Translations

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Adjective

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onyx (not comparable)

  1. jet-black
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC:
      , Genesis, 2:12
      And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
    • 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/7/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days‎[1]:
      There was no moon, only stars set brilliantly in the soft black onyx of the sky : a black night and very silent on Cimiez ; and a black and silent prospect from the verandah […]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, Robert K. Barnhart (ed.), Chambers, 1988

Latin

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Etymology

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From Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux, “nail”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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onyx m (genitive onychis); third declension

  1. onyx, yellow marble
  2. A yellowish precious stone
  3. The female of a mussel of the scallop species

Declension

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Third-declension noun.

singular plural
nominative onyx onychēs
genitive onychis onychum
dative onychī onychibus
accusative onychem onychēs
ablative onyche onychibus
vocative onyx onychēs

References

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  • “onyx”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “onyx”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • “onyx”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • “onyx”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Middle English

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Noun

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onyx (uncountable)

  1. Alternative form of oniche

Portuguese

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Noun

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onyx m (invariable)

  1. Pre-reform spelling (until Brazil 1943/Portugal 1911) of ónix.
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