ber·yl (b r  l)n. A transparent to translucent glassy mineral, essentially aluminum beryllium silicate, Be3Al2Si6O18, occurring in hexagonal prisms and constituting the chief source of beryllium. Transparent varieties in white, green, blue, yellow, or pink are valued as gems. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin b  ryllus, from Greek brullos, from brullion, from Prakrit veruliya, from Pali ve uriya; perhaps akin to Tamil veiru or viar, to whiten, become pale.]ber yl·line (--l n, -l n ) adj. |
beryl [ˈbɛrɪl]
n
(Earth Sciences / Minerals) a white, blue, yellow, green, or pink mineral, found in coarse granites and igneous rocks. It is a source of beryllium and used as a gemstone; the green variety is emerald, the blue is aquamarine. Composition: beryllium aluminium silicate. Formula: Be3Al2Si6O18. Crystal structure: hexagonal
[from Old French, from Latin bēryllus, from Greek bērullos, of Indic origin]
beryline adj
| beryl (brl) A usually green or bluish-green hexagonal mineral occurring as transparent to translucent prisms in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Transparent varieties, such as emeralds and aquamarine, are valued as gems. Beryl is the main source of the element beryllium. Chemical formula: Be3Al2Si6O18. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  beryl - the chief source of beryllium; colored transparent varieties are valued as gemsatomic number 4, Be, beryllium, glucinium - a light strong brittle grey toxic bivalent metallic element mineral - solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition aquamarine - a transparent variety of beryl that is blue green in color emerald - a green transparent form of beryl; highly valued as a gemstone morganite - a kind of pink beryl used as a gemstone |
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