topaz

[ toh-paz ]

noun

1. a mineral, a fluosilicate of aluminum, usually occurring in prismatic orthorhombic crystals of various colors, and used as a gem.
2. citrine ( def 2 ).
3. either of two South American hummingbirds, Topaza pella or T. pyra, having chiefly red and crimson plumage and a yellowish-green throat with a topaz sheen.

topaz

/ ˈtəʊpæz /

noun

1. a white or colourless mineral often tinted by impurities, found in cavities in igneous rocks and in quartz veins. It is used as a gemstone. Composition: hydrated aluminium silicate. Formula: Al 2 SiO 4 (F,OH) 2 . Crystal structure: orthorhombic
2. oriental topaz
   a yellowish-brown variety of sapphire
3. false topaz
   another name for citrine
4. 1. a yellowish-brown colour, as in some varieties of topaz
   2. ( as adjective )

      topaz eyes

5. either of two South American hummingbirds, Topaza pyra and T. pella

topaz

/ tō′păz′ /

1. A colorless, blue, yellow, brown, or pink orthorhombic mineral valued as a gem. Topaz occurs as transparent or translucent prisms in silica-rich igneous rocks, such as pegmatite, and in tin-bearing rock veins. Chemical formula: Al 2 SiO 4 (F,OH) 2 .
2. Any of various yellow gemstones, especially a yellow variety of sapphire or corundum.

Other Words From

• to·paz·ine [toh, -p, uh, -zeen, -zin], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of topaz¹

1225–75; < Latin topazus < Greek tópazos; replacing Middle English topace < Old French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of topaz¹

C13: from Old French topaze, from Latin topazus, from Greek topazos

Example Sentences

The clip from “Topaz” was a scene that made me go “Wow!”

From Salon

“Topaz” is not a great film, but that moment of the purple dress is fantastic visual thinking.

From Salon

Sade Oram, 25, and her younger sister Topaz, 23, were diagnosed profoundly deaf as toddlers and fitted with cochlear implants.

From BBC

Topaz Oram said cochlear implants gave the sisters the "equipment to hear" but Auditory Verbal Therapy gave them the "tools to listen".

From BBC

Unlike some of the uncanny renderings that choke social media, Myhre’s bespoke images take many hours to build, with the help of his own photographs of buildings, the generative A.I. program Midjourney, the A.I.-powered photo enhancement program Topaz, and Photoshop.

From New York Times