cinnabar

noun

cin·​na·​bar ˈsi-nə-ˌbär 

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

cinnabarine

ˈsi-nə-bə-ˌrīn 

-ˌbär-in

adjective

Examples of cinnabar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The capsule continues to foreground the use of regionally characteristic materials such as jade, cinnabar, porcelain, and Asian cultural symbols like 玄武 (the Black Tortoise) and 青龙 (the Azure Dragon). —Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

At the turn of the 20th century, cinnabar ore (which is used to create liquid mercury, once an important resource for manufacturing firearms) was discovered in the area, and the town's population boomed. —Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2025

With large deposits of cinnabar, gold, and silver in the Americas, a global economy began to take shape in the sixteenth century and expanded again with the gold rushes in the American West. —Sallie Tisdale, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

This cinnabar mini-palace accommodates an on-site bench jeweler and a hand engraver. —Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cinnabar

• cinnabar moth

Rhymes for cinnabar

• abattoir
• alcazar
• autocar
• avatar
• belshazzar
• caviar
• caviare
• commissar
• condylar
• deodar
• handlebar
• isobar

Kids Definition

cinnabar

noun

cin·​na·​bar ˈsin-ə-ˌbär 

: a red mineral that consists of a sulfide of mercury and is the only important ore of mercury

Medical Definition

cinnabar

noun

cin·​na·​bar ˈsin-ə-ˌbär 

1

: native red sulfide of mercury HgS that is the only important ore of mercury

2

: artificial red sulfide of mercury used especially as a pigment