Topaz

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtəʊˌpæz/

Definitions

1. A yellow or brownish precious gemstone, or a small tropical hummingbird with colorful plumage
2. A valuable gemstone often found in various colors, as well as a type of small, brightly colored bird belonging to the hummingbird family
3. This is a mineral celebrated as a gemstone in colors such as blue or yellow, and also denotes a vibrant species of hummingbird

Etymology: The Greek name for this gemstone may come from a place. Ancient Greek "tópazos" was the word for the stone, and one theory links it to Topazios, a small island in the Red Sea, where the stone may have been mined; but this is not certain. The Greek word passed into Old French as "topace", and English later borrowed the word from that French form, which is why the spelling and sound still carry traces of the route. The origin is genuinely uncertain, and that uncertainty has produced some colourful guesses. Hobson-Jobson, the classic dictionary of Anglo-Indian words, suggests that the name may be a corruption of the Persian "top-chi", meaning "gunner", or that it may connect with "topee", the sun-hat worn in hot climates. Neither idea is well supported, and the Greek origin remains the most widely accepted.

Synonyms: gemstone, jewel, crystal, rock, mineral