amethyst
noun
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Gems were once believed to have magical qualities. An amethyst, for example, was supposed to have the power to prevent or cure drunkenness in its wearer. For this reason the Greeks gave it the name amethystos, which comes from the prefix a-, meaning “not,” and methyein “to be drunk.”
Examples of amethyst in a Sentence
Annie Blackman, Allure, 3 Apr. 2025
Included are amethyst, obsidian, pyrite, fire opal, amber, jade and quartz.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Each evening, the crystal-clear water erupted in a kaleidoscope of bioluminescence, while Reiki students could dig up amethyst and tourmaline from crystal seams that crisscrossed the island.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
In terms of stones, there’s a lot of amethyst and smoky quartz cut into ‘split cabochons’, and perhaps, more unusually for jewelry, some ulexite (or ‘TV stone’).
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for amethyst
Cite this Entry
“Amethyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amethyst. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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amethyst
noun
Middle English amatiste "amethyst," from early French amatiste and Latin amethystus (both with the same meaning), from Greek amethystos, literally "remedy against drunkenness," from a- "not" and methyein "to be drunk," from methy "wine"
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