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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

    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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