agate

See also: Agate

English

Agate

Etymology 1

From Middle French agathe, from Latin achatēs, from Ancient Greek ἀχάτης (akhátēs, “agate”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæɡət/

Noun

agate (countable and uncountable, plural agates)

1. (countable, uncountable, mineralogy) A semi-pellucid, uncrystallized variety of quartz, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged in stripes or bands, or blended in clouds.
2. (uncountable, US printing, dated) The size of type between pearl and nonpareil, standardized as 5½-point.
3. (countable, obsolete) A diminutive person; so called in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings and seals.
4. (countable) A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.;—so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing.
5. A marble made from agate.
6. (slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.

Synonyms

• (type size): (UK) ruby
• (marble): aggie

Hyponyms

• (mineralogy): fortification agate, Scotch pebble; moss agate, clouded agate

Derived terms

• moss agate
• agate line
• agateware

Related terms

• aggie

Translations

mineral

• Basque: agata
• Bulgarian: ахат (bg) (ahat)
• Catalan: àgata f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 白瑪瑙, 白玛瑙 (báimǎnǎo), 瑪瑙 (zh) (mǎnǎo), 文石 (zh) (wénshí)

• Czech: achát (cs) m
• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: agaat (nl)
• Estonian: ahhaat
• Finnish: akaatti (fi), agaatti
• French: agate (fr)
• Galician: ágata f
• German: Achat (de) m
• Hebrew: אגט‏‎
• Hungarian: achát (hu)
• Icelandic: agat
• Ido: agato (io)

• Irish: agáit f
• Italian: agata f
• Japanese: 瑪瑙 (めのう, menō)
• Korean: 마노 (ko) (mano), 아게이트 (ageiteu)
• Latvian: ahāts m
• Lithuanian: agatas
• Malay: akik, agat
• Polish: agat (pl)
• Portuguese: ágata (pt) f
• Russian: ага́т (ru) m (agát)
• Serbo-Croatian: ахат m (ahat)
• Spanish: ágata (es) f
• Swahili: kalkedoni
• Swedish: agat (sv)
• Tagalog: agata
• Turkish: akik (tr), agat (tr)
• Yiddish: אַגאַט‏‎ m (agat)

5½-point type

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 七 (zh) (qī)

• Spanish: ágata (es) f

Etymology 2

a- (“on”) +‎ gate (“way”)

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ʌˈɡat/

Adverb

agate (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) On the way; agoing.

   to be agate; to set the bells agate

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Cotgrave to this entry?)

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Esperanto

Adverb

agate

1. present adverbial passive participle of agi

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French

Noun

agate m (plural agates)

1. agate

Further reading

• “agate” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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Ido

Verb

agate

1. adverbial present passive participle of agar

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Italian

Noun

agate f

1. plural of agata