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): /ˈæɡ.et/

Wikipedia

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) 5.5-point size of type, larger than pearl and smaller than nonpareil; in England called ruby.
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. (slang, usually in plural) A testicle.

Synonyms

• (printing): ruby (Britain)

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 m
• Dutch: agaat (nl)
• Estonian: ahhaat
• Finnish: akaatti (fi), agaatti
• French: agate (fr)
• Galician: ágata f
• German: Achat (de) m
• Hebrew: אגט

• Icelandic: agat
• Italian: agata f
• Japanese: 瑪瑙 (めのう, menō)
• Latvian: ahāts m
• Lithuanian: agatas
• Malay: akik, agat
• Polish: agat (pl)
• Portuguese: ágata (pt) f
• Russian: агат (ru) m (agát)
• Serbo-Croatian: ахат m (ahat)
• Spanish: ágata (es) f
• Swahili: kalkedoni
• Swedish: agat (sv)
• Turkish: akik (tr), agat

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

External links

• “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 form of agata