Meanings
- uncountableA certain stone with spangles of gold color in it, known to Pliny, perhaps golden mica or yellow mica schist.
Hammochrysos resembles sand in appearance, but sand mixed with gold.
2015, Delphi Complete Works of Pliny the Elder (Illustrated), Delphi Classics, page 732 more examples
Nearly everything was glass in the frontage of this fairy mart, and its contents glittered like the hammochrysos stone.
1905, Thomas Hardy, The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters, page 375A splendid curtain, silver-sewn, Spangled like hammochrysos stone Stood in a crypt that dripped delight, His ear-drums pulsing with that sound The sheeted waters in their might Flung to the crags, to mock their thrall.
1914, William Rose Benét, The Falconer of God: And Other Poems, page 64
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀμμόχρῡσος
- Latinhammochrȳsos
- Englishhammochrysos
From Latin hammochrȳsos, (h)ammochrȳsus, from Ancient Greek ἀμμόχρῡσος (ammókhrūsos), from ἄμμος (ámmos, “sand”) + χρῡσός (khrūsós, “gold”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French hammochryse
- hammochryseTranslations
Cite this entry
hammochrysos. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hammochrysos
“hammochrysos.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hammochrysos. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hammochrysos,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hammochrysos.
Source: hammochrysos on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.