nephrite

N1E1P3H4R1I1T1E1
/ˈnɛfˌɹaɪt/

noun

A semi-precious stone, one of the two types of stone commonly referred to as jade (the other being jadeite).

OriginLatin lapis nephriticus ← Ancient Greek λίθος →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounnephrite (countable and uncountable, plural nephrites)

plural nephrites

  1. countableuncountablechemistryA semi-precious stone, one of the two types of stone commonly referred to as jade (the other being jadeite).

    Occurrences of nephrite are more numerous. China’s most important source throughout its history has been the region of Khotan (Ho-t‘ien) and Yarkand in Central Asia. In more recent times the Chinese have also imported nephrite from the neighbourhood of Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia.

    1968, S. Howard Hansford, “The Material and Its Sources”, in Chinese Carved Jades, Greenwich, Conn.: New York Graphic Society Ltd., →LCCN, →OCLC, page 27

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekλίθος
  2. Latinlapis nephriticus
  3. Englishnephrite

From Latin lapis nephriticus, via Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos) νεφριτικός (nephritikós), meaning kidney stone, because jade was believed to have cured kidney stones.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian нефрит
  • нефрит (nefrit)semi-precious stone
Catalan nefrita
  • nefritasemi-precious stone
Chinese Mandarin 軟玉 /软玉, 玉
  • 軟玉 /软玉 (ruǎnyù)semi-precious stone
  • 玉 (yù)semi-precious stone
Czech nefrit
  • nefritsemi-precious stone
Finnish nefriitti
  • nefriittisemi-precious stone
French néphrite
  • néphritesemi-precious stone
German Nephrit
  • Nephritsemi-precious stone
Greek νεφρίτης
  • νεφρίτης (nefrítis)semi-precious stone
Italian nefrite
  • nefritesemi-precious stone
Japanese 軟玉
  • 軟玉 (nangyoku)semi-precious stone
Latin lapis nephrīticus, nephrītēs
  • lapis nephrīticussemi-precious stone
  • nephrītēssemi-precious stone
Latvian nefrīts
  • nefrītssemi-precious stone
Māori pounamu
  • pounamusemi-precious stone
Polish nefryt
  • nefrytsemi-precious stone
Spanish nefrita
  • nefritasemi-precious stone

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

prehnitetrephine
Cite this entry
APA

nephrite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nephrite

MLA

“nephrite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nephrite. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nephrite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nephrite.

Source: nephrite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.