sapphire

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sapphire

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From Middle English saphir, from Old French saphir, from Latin sapphir, sappir, sapphīrus,^[1] from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros, “precious stone, gem”),^[2][3] from a Semitic language such as Hebrew סַפִּיר (sappī́r, “lapis lazuli”),^[4] originally from Assyrian Akkadian šipirtu (“lapis lazuli”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsæf.aɪ̯ə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsæf.aɪ̯ɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sap‧phire

sapphire (countable and uncountable, plural sapphires)

2. (countable) A clear deep blue variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone.
   • 2012 March, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist‎, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 June 2012, page 128:

     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.

3. (countable and uncountable) A white, yellow, or purple variety of corundum, either clear or translucent.
4. (countable and uncountable) A deep blue colour.

   sapphire:  

5. (heraldry) Azure, when blazoning by precious stones.
   • 1720, Francis Nichols, Rudiments of Honour, page 296:

     Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; […]

   • 1726, John Guillim, The Banner Display'd; Or, an Abridgment of Guillim, page 504:

     3. Saphire, ten Bezants, 4, 3, 2, 1, by the Bisset.

   • 1754, John Lodge, The Peerage of Ireland; Or, a Genealogical History of the ..., page 71:

     (2) Topaz, a Chief Indented, Saphire.

   • 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:

     Topaz, on a Cross, Sapphire, a Crosier thrust through a Mitre, Topaz.

6. (countable) Any hummingbird in the genera Hylocharis and Chlorestes, as well as the rufous-throated sapphire, which is now in the genus Amazilia.
7. Any of the butterflies in the southern Asian lycaenid genus Heliophorus or the African lycaenid genus Iolaus.

• → Tokelauan: hafaila
• → Welsh: saffir

• corundum

sapphire (comparative more sapphire, superlative most sapphire)

1. of a deep blue colour.
2. pertaining to a 45th year

(45 years):

• sapphire anniversary
• sapphire jubilee

• (blues) blue; Alice blue, aqua, aquamarine, azure, baby blue, beryl, bice, bice blue, blue green, blue violet, blueberry, cadet blue, Cambridge blue, cerulean, cobalt blue, Copenhagen blue, cornflower, cornflower blue, cyan, dark blue, Dodger blue, duck-egg blue, eggshell blue, electric blue, gentian blue, ice blue, lapis lazuli, light blue, lovat, mazarine, midnight blue, navy, Nile blue, Oxford blue, peacock blue, petrol blue, powder blue, Prussian blue, robin's-egg blue, royal blue, sapphire, saxe blue, slate blue, sky blue, teal, turquoise, ultramarine, Wedgwood blue, zaffre ^{(Category: en:Blues)}
• Sapphire

• David Barthelmy (1997–2025) “Sapphire”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
• “sapphire”, in Mindat.org‎, Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2025.

• paperish, papisher

sapphīre f

1. vocative singular of sapphīrus

• “sapphire”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers