sapphire

plural sapphires

1. countableA clear deep blue variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone.

   “Alas! I have no ruby now,” said the Prince; “my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago.”

   1888, Oscar Wilde, “The Happy Prince”, in The Happy Prince and Other Tales, London: Duckworth, published 1928, page 26

   1 more example

   Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade.

   2012 March 28, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012, page 128

2. countableuncountableA white, yellow, or purple variety of corundum, either clear or translucent.
3. countableuncountableA deep blue colour.
4. countableuncountablegovernmentAzure, when blazoning by precious stones.

   (2) Topaz, a Chief Indented, Saphire.

   1754, John Lodge, The Peerage of Ireland; Or, a Genealogical History of the ..., page 71

   3 more examples

   Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; […]

   1720, Francis Nichols, Rudiments of Honour, page 296

   3. Saphire, ten Bezants, 4, 3, 2, 1, by the Bisset.

   1726, John Guillim, The Banner Display'd; Or, an Abridgment of Guillim, page 504

   Topaz, on a Cross, Sapphire, a Crosier thrust through a Mitre, Topaz.

   1756, Francis Nichols, The Irish Compendium, Or, Rudiments of Honour, Containing the Descent, Marriage, Isssue, Titles, Posts, and Seats, of All the Nobility of Ireland..., page 440

5. countableAny hummingbird in the genera Hylocharis and Chlorestes, as well as the rufous-throated sapphire, which is now in the genus Amazilia.
6. countableuncountableAny of the butterflies in the southern Asian lycaenid genus Heliophorus or the African lycaenid genus Iolaus.

comparative more sapphire · superlative most sapphire

1. of a deep blue colour.

   At about eleven, we uncaged our pigeons, who flew away into the sapphire sky that hung like a sail from the white peaks.

   1927, Dhan Gopal Mukerji, Gay-Neck, the Story of a Pigeon, E.P. Dutton & Co., page 33

   1 more example

   They awoke to panoramic views of a national park's tropical forests, the Gulf of Paria's shallows and the Caribbean's sparkling sapphire waters.

   2025 November 8, The Associated Press, “Trump says boat crews are narco-terrorists. The truth is more nuanced, AP finds”, in NPR

2. pertaining to a 45th year

1. A female given name from English from the precious stone.

   1 more example

   I asked her once how a little girl who didn't have blue eyes ended up being called Sapphire. She pursed her lips for a few seconds, clearly wondering how she could get away with not telling me. 'My older brother is called Mistral,' she said in the end. 'My younger sister is Blaze. I'd say I was the lucky one.' As I say, hippy parents.

   2015, Sharon Bolton, Little Black Lies, Corgi Books, →ISBN, page 179

2. A locality in the Inverell council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.

plural Sapphires

1. A stereotype of an aggressive and domineering black woman.

   When black women speak up about indignities, they are Sapphires. When black women stand up for their rights, they are Sapphires.

   2010, C. Henderson, Imagining the Black Female Body

   1 more example

   Described as feisty wenches, seductive Jezebels, or loud and angry Sapphires, Black women's public persona has long been dominated by these images.

   2019, Marquita M. Gammage, Antwanisha Alameen-Shavers, Challenging Misrepresentations of Black Womanhood