aquamarine

noun

aqua·​ma·​rine ˌä-kwə-mə-ˈrēn 

ˌa-

1

: a transparent blue, blue-green, or green variety of beryl used as a gem

2

: a pale blue to light greenish blue

Did you know?

Aquamarine Has Latin Roots

Aqua marina * is Latin for "seawater", so when a lovely blue-green form of the semiprecious gem known as beryl was given an English name several centuries ago, *aquamarine seemed appropriate. Aquamarine is the ideal color that most of us carry around in our heads when we imagine the waters that lap the shores of the Greek and Caribbean islands on a sunny day. But even the Mediterranean and the Caribbean can take on lots of other colors depending on weather conditions.

Examples of aquamarine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among those accessories, Middleton sported the Gabrielle earrings from Sézane in a coffee shade, Halcyon Days aquamarine and gold bangle bracelet and a Sézane howlite cuff. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 10 July 2026

Touchingly, the stones were sourced from a diamond-and-aquamarine tiara worn by his eccentric mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, at her wedding. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026

Work with Complementary Colors While choosing a single paint shade can seem straightforward enough, pairing aquamarine with complementary colors might feel slightly more nuanced. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026

The water can turn from clear aquamarine to a milky green, said Abrams. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin aqua marina, from Latin, sea water

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aquamarine

• acetylene
• adamantine
• adenosine
• amphetamine
• anthropocene
• apoprotein
• arsphenamine
• azobenzene
• buprenorphine
• catecholamine
• chlorobenzene
• chlorpromazine

Kids Definition

aquamarine

noun

aqua·​ma·​rine ˌak-wə-mə-ˈrēn 

ˌäk-

1

: a transparent beryl that is blue, blue-green, or green

2

: a pale blue to light greenish blue