Opal
['əʊp(ə)l] or ['opl]
Definition
(noun.) a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones.
Edited by Bradley--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity.
Edited by Arnold
Definition
n. a precious stone of a milky hue remarkable for its changing colours.—n. Opalesc′ence.—adjs. Opalesc′ent reflecting a milky or pearly light from the interior; O′paline relating to or like opal.—v.t. O′palise.
Typed by Cyril
Examples
- This is wonderful-' It was a round opal, red and fiery, set in a circle of tiny rubies. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- Only the opal, with its thin wire loop, would go on her ring finger. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- Ah yes, I recall the case; it was concerned with an opal tiara. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- In some instances the wood has been converted into solid jasper or has been changed into opal or agate, or filled with chalcedony or crystallized quartz, with beautifully variegated colors. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- Silica is also met with in the carnelian and we find it constituting jasper, agate, cat’s-eye, onyx and opals. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
Editor: Simon