cinnabar

noun cin·na·bar \ ˈsi-nə-ˌbär \

Definition of cinnabar

1 : artificial red mercuric sulfide used especially as a pigment

2 : a red mineral consisting of native mercuric sulfide HgS that is the only important ore of mercury

3 : a deep vivid red

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cinnabarine

play \-bə-ˌrīn, -ˌbär-in\ adjective

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Recent Examples of cinnabar from the Web

In the late 1800s, Oat Hill was one of the richest cinnabar (mercury) mines in the West, and the trail follows the old road that led toward the mine.

— peter fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "The 5 best hikes in Napa for wine lovers," 21 Feb. 2018
Since Roman times, when slaves worked the cinnabar mines, mercury has been known to cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, tremors, drooling, difficulty walking, and eventually, death.

— National Geographic, "The Toxic Toll of Indonesia's Gold Mines," 24 May 2016
Since Roman times, when slaves worked the cinnabar mines, mercury has been known to cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, tremors, drooling, difficulty walking, and eventually, death.

— National Geographic, "The Toxic Toll of Indonesia's Gold Mines," 24 May 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cinnabar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cinnabar

Middle English cynabare, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French sinopre, from Latin cinnabaris, from Greek kinnabari, of non-Indo-European origin; akin to Arabic zinjafr cinnabar

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year