onyx
5
8.2
- noun
- /ˈɑnɪks/
:
ónice
- Oh my gosh, this is the green Onyx gemstone ring.
- black onyx
- onyx ring
- onyx earrings
Examples
-
The light from the candle made the gold splashes beside the onyx glow red.
Fiction book (1998) -
The parent company manufactures stone, tile, and slabs of onyx, marble, limestone, and travertine.
Blog text (20) -
Not the same razor; this one had an onyx handle.
Fiction book (1991) -
With this, he lifted his cane and twisted the onyx crow's-head handle, which came away from the stick in his hand.
Fiction book (2002) -
The statuette of a raven, carved from solid onyx, glistens in the moonlight.
Fiction book (1992) -
Regis set down his mace and torch and fumbled around to find the onyx figurine.
Fiction book (1992) -
On a table just inside the room is a statue, an Egypto-deco affair of gold and onyx depicting a creature half-female, half-cat.
Fiction book (2000) -
Ahead of us, a flock of cormorants flew in a wedge, onyx-black against the jewel-blue of the sky.
Fiction book (2002) -
Every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond; beryl, onyx, and jasper; sapphire, turquoise.
Blog text (31) -
The light from the candle made the gold splashes beside the onyx glow red.
Synonyms
75
4.5
A hard, shiny gem cut and polished for jewelry
15
3.3
A hard, shiny stone cut and polished for use in jewelry
1
9.9
A translucent, often milky stone that people use as a gem in rings and carvings
Compounds
- Specialized
A hard stone used for decoration with smooth bands and a little see-through, shiny look
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word onyx comes from the old Greek word onux, which meant 'claw' or 'fingernail'. People named the stone this because its thin, black-and-white layers look a bit like the hard layers of a nail, and that is why onyx is often used for carved images and jewelry.