alabandine
alabandine Lexical Profile
alabandine Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A deep red precious stone historically referenced in antiquity, usually identified as a variety of almandine garnet, originally found or cut near the ancient city of Alabanda.
"Ancient lapidaries often described the alabandine as a fiery red gem, though modern mineralogists classify such stones simply as almandine garnets."
A dark iron-black mineral consisting of manganese sulfide, more commonly referred to in modern geology as alabandite.
"The survey report noted traces of alabandine mixed with the surrounding quartz in the excavation site."
Word Nuance & Usage
Historically, the term 'alabandine' was frequently used interchangeably with 'almandine' to describe red garnets, due to their shared etymological origin tracing back to the ancient gem-cutting center of Alabanda.
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English alabandine, via Old French from Latin alabandina (gemma), referring to a precious stone named after Alabanda, an ancient city in Caria, Asia Minor.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.