sapphire

noun

sap·​phire ˈsa-ˌfī(-ə)r 

1

a

: a gem variety of corundum in transparent or translucent crystals of a color other than red

especially : one of a transparent rich blue

b

: a gem of such corundum

2

: a deep purplish-blue color

sapphire adjective

Examples of sapphire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The company specifies a Mohs hardness of 9, placing sapphire just below diamond on the Mohs scale. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

The 35 mm, meanwhile, plays host to the IWC Caliber 47110, which can be spotted via the see-through sapphire-crystal caseback; that movement has enough juice to be powered for 42 hours. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2026

In 2025, Hublot worked with Arsham on a watch called the Hublot MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire retailing for £57,000 ($77,260) using various materials such as sapphire crystal, titanium, and rubber. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

This comes after Markle recently wore a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, to the David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration in Canada. — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English safir, from Anglo-French, from Latin sapphirus, from Greek sappheiros, perhaps of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew sappīr sapphire

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sapphire

• star sapphire
• water sapphire

Kids Definition

sapphire

noun

sap·​phire ˈsaf-ˌī(ə)r 

1

: a clear bright blue precious stone

2

: a deep purplish blue

sapphire adjective

Etymology

Middle English safir "sapphire," from early French safir (same meaning), from Latin sapphirus "sapphire," from Greek sappheiros (same meaning), perhaps of Semitic origin