Meanings
plural chrysolites
- countableuncountablechemistryOriginally, any of various green-coloured gems; later specifically peridot.
Fran. Rueus[…]say as much of the chrysolite, a friend of wisdome, an enemy to folly.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 4, member 1, subsection iii2 more examples
And before he died, Taran-Ish had scrawled upon the altar of chrysolite with coarse shaky strokes the sign of DOOM.
1920, H. P. Lovecraft, The Doom that Came to SarnathA piece of marigold or bay leaf was imbedded in the metal, and over it a carbuncle or chrysolite was placed.
1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 155
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekχρῡσόλιθος
- Latinchrȳsolithus
- Medieval Latincrisolitus
- Old Frenchcrisolite
- Middle Englishcrisolite
- Englishchrysolite
From Middle English crisolite, from Old French crisolite, from Medieval Latin crisolitus, Latin chrȳsolithus, from Ancient Greek χρῡσόλιθος (khrūsólithos), from χρῡσός (khrūsós, “gold”) + λίθος (líthos, “stone”). By surface analysis, chryso- (“pertaining to gold”) + -lite (“pertaining to rocks, minerals”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek χρυσόλιθος
- χρυσόλιθος (khrusólithos)a gemstone
Arabic زَبَرْجَد
- زَبَرْجَد (zabarjad)a gemstone
Catalan crisòlit
- crisòlita gemstone
Chinese Mandarin 橄欖石 /橄榄石
- 橄欖石 /橄榄石 (gǎnlǎnshí)a gemstone
Finnish krysoliitti
- krysoliittia gemstone
French chrysolithe, chrysolite
- chrysolithea gemstone
- chrysolitea gemstone
German crysolit, Chrysolith
- crysolita gemstone
- Chrysolitha gemstone
Indonesian krisolit, zabarjad
- krisolita gemstone
- zabarjada gemstone
Irish cloch óir
- cloch óira gemstone
Māori karihorita
- karihoritaa gemstone
Norwegian Bokmål krysolitt
- krysolitta gemstone
Spanish chrysolita, peridoto
- chrysolitaa gemstone
- peridotoa gemstone
- crisólitoa gemstone
Turkish zebercet
- zeberceta gemstone
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
chrysolite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chrysolite
“chrysolite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chrysolite. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chrysolite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chrysolite.
Source: chrysolite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.