agate

agate
agate (n.) 1560s, from M.Fr. agathe (16c.), from L. achates, from Gk. akhates, the name of a river in Sicily where the stones were found (Pliny). But the river could as easily be named for the stone. The earlier English form of the word, achate (early 13c.), was directly from Latin. Figurative sense of "a diminutive person" (c.1600) is from the now-obsolete meaning "small figures cut in agates for seals," preserved in typographer's agate (1838), the U.S. name of the 5.5-point font called in Great Britain ruby. Meaning "toy marble made of glass resembling agate" is from 1843 (colloquially called an aggie).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • agate — agate …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • agate — [ agat ] n. f. • XIIIe; acate XIIe; lat. achates, gr. akhatês 1 ♦ Minér. Variété de calcédoine, finement zonée, aux teintes nuancées et contrastées, utilisée comme pierre précieuse (camées, coupes, etc.). ♢ Objet d art en agate. Les agates… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • agate — AGATE. s. f. Pierre de la nature du caillou; elle est fort dure et prend parfaitement le poli; elle donne des étincelles lorsqu on la frappe avec de l acier, et elle varie pour les couleurs, les veines et les accidens qui s y trouvent. Les agates …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • Agate — Ag ate, n. [F. agate, It. agata, L. achates, fr. Gr. ?.] 1. (Min.) A semipellucid, uncrystallized variety of quartz, presenting various tints in the same specimen. Its colors are delicately arranged in stripes or bands, or blended in clouds.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • agaté — agaté, tée (a ga té, tée) adj. Qui contient de l agate. Jaspe agaté. ÉTYMOLOGIE    Agate …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • agate — AGÁTE s.f.pl. Litere tipografice a căror floare corespunde unei litere de şase puncte. [sg. agată. / cf. fr. agate]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DN  AGÁTE s. f. pl. litere tipografice cu floarea de şase puncte. (< fr. agate) …   Dicționar Român

  • agate — [ag′it] n. [ME agaten < OFr agate < ML < L achates < Gr achatēs < ?] 1. a hard semiprecious stone, a variety of chalcedony, with striped or clouded coloring 2. any of various tools having agate parts, as a burnishing instrument… …   English World dictionary

  • Agate — A*gate , adv. [Pref. a on + gate way.] On the way; agoing; as, to be agate; to set the bells agate. [Obs.] Cotgrave. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • agate — AGATE. s. f. Sorte de pierre precieuse qui n est point transparente. Agate d Orient. agate de Boheme …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • agate —    , agate line    a traditional unit of area used in printing and advertising. The agate line is equal to 1/14 inch (1.814 millimeters) multiplied by the width of the printed line. Its name comes from the traditional type size called agate,… …   Dictionary of units of measurement

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