Citrin

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A pale yellow or lemon-colored hue often associated with light and freshness
2. a type of gemstone, specifically a variety of quartz, valued for its yellow and amber tones
3. resembling or suggesting citrus fruits, especially in color and brightness

Etymology: The word is built from "citro-", the combining form of Latin "citrus" (the citron and related fruits), and the suffix "-in", which chemists and later everyday writers attached to names of substances and of colours. So at its core it is simply "citrus-like," a word assembled from parts rather than inherited through centuries of speech. The suffix "-in" is the surprising part. It usually marks a chemical compound or a protein, as in "insulin" or "casein," so "citrin" began life as a term for something about the fruit's substance. Over time its use drifted from the chemistry of the fruit toward its appearance, and the word now describes a bright, yellowish hue, the kind of colour a lemon or orange peel shows.

Synonyms: citrine, yellow quartz