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agate

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: Agate

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

Noun

agate (countable and uncountable, plural agates)

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
  1. (countable, uncountable, mineralogy) A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating dark and light stripes or bands, or blended in clouds; various authorities call it a variety of chalcedony, a variety of quartz, or a combination of the two.
    • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 9:
      The ends of the veil, drawn over her head, were embroidered with silver; she had long gold ear-rings; to a rich and large gold chain was suspended a cross set with precious stones; and over the arm of her chair hung a rosary of agate beads.
    • 1947, Malcolm Lowry, Under the Volcano, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, page 86:
      Yes: living among the cohabations[sic] of Faust himself, among the litharge and agate and hyacinth and pearls.
  2. (uncountable, US printing, dated) The size of type between pearl and nonpareil, standardized as 5+1⁄2-point.
  3. (countable, typography) One fourteenth of an inch.
  4. (countable, obsolete) A diminutive person; so called in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings and seals.
  5. (countable) A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.;—so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing.
  6. (countable) A marble made from agate.
  7. (slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
  • (mineralogy): fortification agate, Scotch pebble; moss agate, clouded agate
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Late Middle English agate, a gate. Equivalent to a- (“on”) +‎ gate (“way, path”).

Pronunciation

Adverb

agate (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) On the way; agoing.
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Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque *anate, from Latin anatem (“duck”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aɡate/ [a.ɣ̞a.t̪e]
  • Rhymes: -ate, -e
  • Hyphenation: a‧ga‧te

Noun

agate inan

  1. (Biscayan) alternative form of ahate

Esperanto

Adverb

agate

  1. present adverbial passive participle of agi

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.ɡat/
  • Audio (France (Brétigny-sur-Orge)):(file)

Noun

agate f (plural agates)

  1. agate

Further reading

Ido

Verb

agate

  1. adverbial present passive participle of agar

Italian

Noun

agate f

  1. plural of agata

Anagrams

Mezquital Otomi

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish ágata, from Old French agathe, from Latin achates, from Ancient Greek ἀχάτης (akhátēs).

Pronunciation

Noun

ǎgáte

  1. agate

References

  • Hernández Cruz, Luis; Victoria Torquemada, Moisés (2010), Diccionario del hñähñu (otomí) del Valle del Mezquital, estado de Hidalgo (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 45)‎ (in Spanish), second edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 3
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Middle English

Etymology

From a (“on”) +‎ gate (“way, path”).

Pronunciation

Adverb

agate (Late Middle English, rare)

  1. straight away, immediately
  2. on the way, while travelling

Descendants

  • English: agate
  • Middle Scots: agait, agate

References

Scots

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Scots agate, agait, from Middle English agate; equivalent to a- (“on”) +‎ gate

Adverb

agate (not comparable)

  1. On the road, afoot, going about
  2. away

References

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