realgar

R1E1A1L1G2A1R1
UK/ɹiˈæl.ɡɑː/UK/ɹiˈæl.ɡə/US/ɹiˈæl.ɡɑɹ/US/ɹiˈæl.ɡɚ/

noun

A mineral, arsenic sulfide (AsS), often associated with orpiment and stibnite in lead, silver and gold ores.

Similar
red orpiment
OriginMiddle English realgar ← Medieval Latin realgar ← Arabic رَهْج اَلْغَار →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounrealgar (usually uncountable, plural realgars)

plural realgars · alternative rosaker · alternative resalgar · alternative resegall · alternative resegallum

  1. uncountableusuallychemistryA mineral, arsenic sulfide (AsS), often associated with orpiment and stibnite in lead, silver and gold ores.

    Realgar is arsenic sulfide, an example of a classic painter's pigment that is also a wee bit poisonous.

    2014, Theodore Gray, photography by Nick Mann, Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything, 2018 Paperback Edition, page 199

    Synonyms: red orpiment

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA mineral, arsenic sulfide (AsS), often associated with orpiment and stibnite in lead, silver and gold ores.

Similar
red orpiment

Origin

  1. Arabicرَهْج اَلْغَار
  2. Medieval Latinrealgar
  3. Middle Englishrealgar
  4. Englishrealgar

From Middle English realgar, from Medieval Latin realgar, resalgar, from Arabic رَهْج اَلْغَار (rahj al-ḡār, literally “cave dust”).

More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek σανδαράκη
  • σανδαράκη (sandarákē)mineral
Arabic رَهَج اَلْغَار
  • رَهَج اَلْغَار (rahaj al-ḡār)mineral
Bengali মনঃশিলা, মনছাল
  • মনঃশিলা (monoḥśila)mineral
  • মনছাল (monchal)mineral
Chinese Mandarin 雄黃 /雄黄
  • 雄黃 /雄黄 (xiónghuáng)mineral
Finnish realgaari
  • realgaarimineral
French réalgar
  • réalgarmineral
German Realgar, Rubinschwefel
  • Realgarmineral
  • Rubinschwefelmineral
  • rotes Schwefelarsenikmineral
  • rote Arsenblendemineral
  • Rauschrotmineral
Hindi मैनसिल
  • मैनसिल (mainsil)mineral
Italian realgar
  • realgarmineral
Japanese 鶏冠石
  • 鶏冠石 (keikanseki)mineral
Latin risigallum, rissigallum
  • risigallummineral
  • rissigallummineral
Polish realgar
  • realgarmineral
Punjabi ਮੈਨਸਿਲ
  • ਮੈਨਸਿਲ (mainsil)mineral
Russian реальга́р
  • реальга́р (realʹgár)mineral
Slovak realgár
  • realgármineral
Spanish rejalgar
  • rejalgarmineral
Swedish realgar
  • realgarmineral
Tagalog batikos
  • batikosmineral
Tamil மனோசிலை
  • மனோசிலை (maṉōcilai)mineral
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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