Noun: sapphire
| Singular | sapphire |
| Plural | sapphires |
Sample Sentences
-
Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade. [2012 March 26, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012, page 128:]
-
Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; […] [1720, Francis Nichols, Rudiments of Honour, page 296:]
-
3. Saphire, ten Bezants, 4, 3, 2, 1, by the Bisset. [1726, John Guillim, The Banner Display'd; Or, an Abridgment of Guillim, page 504:]
-
(2) Topaz, a Chief Indented, Saphire. [1754, John Lodge, The Peerage of Ireland; Or, a Genealogical History of the ..., page 71:]
-
Topaz, on a Cross, Sapphire, a Crosier thrust through a Mitre, Topaz. [1756, Francis Nichols, The Irish Compendium, Or, Rudiments of Honour, Containing the Descent, Marriage, Isssue, Titles, Posts, and Seats, of All the Nobility of Ireland..., page 440:]
Nouns inflected like sapphire
soldier's woundwort,
Nicosian,
whopper,
greypate,
tactile sign language,
chronotrope,
Rosie Lee,
dissentient,
photoinactivator,
sulphonediimine,
coastal waterfall,
residuary devise,
bituminization,
nitrosonaphthol,
smṛiti,
geosphere,
backscreen,
mensuralist,
flocculate,
flocculant, etc. (List truncated at 20 nouns)
Etymology
From Middle English saphir, from Old French saphir, from Latin sapphir, sappir, sapphīrus, from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros, “precious stone, gem”), from a Semitic language such as Hebrew סַפִּיר (sappī́r, “lapis lazuli”), originally from Assyrian Akkadian šipirtu (“lapis lazuli”). See: Middle English Nouns '
saphir', Latin Nouns '
sapphir', Ancient Greek Nouns '
σάπφειρος'.