emerald

noun em·er·ald \ ˈem-rəld , ˈe-mə- \

Definition of emerald

1 :a rich green variety of beryl prized as a gemstone

2 :any of various green gemstones (such as synthetic corundum or demantoid)

See emerald defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of emerald from the Web

WHITEFISH BAY 1 A resident reported that her 2.3-carat emerald-cut diamond ring valued at $19,000 was missing from the 5100 block of North Hollywood Avenue Aug. 21.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "North Shore Police Reports: Diamond ring worth $19K reported stolen," 28 Aug. 2017
But here in Embu, a rural region about a four-hour drive from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, the epic landscape teems with stunning emerald-green palms and exotic tropical flowers.

— erin flaherty, Marie Claire, "How Macadamia Nuts Became the Secret Ingredient in Your Sustainable Skincare Products," 1 Aug. 2017
The emerald ash borer, an exotic beetle from Asia, has killed millions of ash trees nationwide since its discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002.

— mari a. schaefer, Philly.com, "Upper Merion to close trail for treatment of invasive pest," 1 Aug. 2017
The scent of the nearby orange groves will greet you upon entering this historic landscape composed of emerald green gardens, a 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion and the Singing Tower carillon.

— tara bradley connell, Orlando Signature, "Showing off our Hometown," 28 July 2017
Lake Zurich officials are using a $20,000 grant to beautify the downtown and purchase replacement trees in areas infected by the emerald ash borer, said Kyle Kordell, assistant to the village manager.

— phil rockrohr, chicagotribune.com, "$20,000 grant lets Lake Zurich officials beautify downtown areas," 25 July 2017
Curro Verdugo posed for a mirror selfie toting an emerald green, floral print Gucci bag that took up nearly a third of the frame, while Hailey Benton Gates displayed some bookworm pride for The Paris Review in a breezy baseball shirt.

— liana satenstein, Vogue, "The Best Fashion Instagrams of the Week: Lady Gaga Loves Supreme, Kendall Jenner Does the White Boot," 15 July 2017
While the ALB is sometimes compared to the emerald ash borer, which has devastated ash tree populations in the Central and Eastern United States, Gates said ALB infestations have been successfully eradicated in Chicago, New York and New Jersey.

— kimberly armstrong, Cincinnati.com, "ODA expands invasive Asian longhorn beetle quarantine into East Fork Wildlife Area," 10 July 2017
How much the wreck might be worth is a matter of fevered speculation, but when the San José went down, it was thought to be carrying six years’ worth of accumulated gold, silver and emeralds destined for Spain.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "Colombia plans to salvage storied shipwreck amid legal challenge," 6 July 2017

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

Did You Know?

Highly valued as gemstones, emeralds are a grass-green variety of beryl. The capacity of emeralds to deflect light and to break white light into its component colors is not high, so cut stones display little brilliancy or fire (flashes of color). The color that gives this gem its value comes from the presence of small amounts of chromium. The most important production of fine-quality gem material is Colombia; emeralds are also mined in Russia, Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Synthetic emeralds are identical to natural crystals and may rival them in color and beauty.

Origin and Etymology of emerald

Middle English emerallde, from Anglo-French esmeralde, from Vulgar Latin *smaralda, from Latin smaragdus, from Greek smaragdos — more at smaragd

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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