agate
agate Lexical Profile
agate Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A hard, fine-grained variety of chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz) characterized by concentric bands, stripes, or clouds of varied, often vivid colors, widely used as a semiprecious gemstone and ornamental stone.
"The jeweler polished the sliced agate to reveal its intricate bands of blue, white, and amber."
A small, spherical playing marble made of genuine agate or of colored glass patterned to resemble it.
"He aimed his favorite swirled agate carefully at the ring of marbles drawn in the dirt."
American A small size of printing type, measuring approximately 5.5 points (about 14 lines to the inch), traditionally used in newspapers for classified advertisements, sports box scores, and financial tables.
"The newspaper printed the daily stock market listings and baseball standings in dense columns of agate."
• Rhymes for agate
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 16th century from Middle French agate, via Latin achates from Ancient Greek akhates, named after the Achates River in Sicily (modern-day Dirillo) where the mineral was first discovered.