noun
opal
OH-pul/ˈəʊpl/
a gemstone often showing shifting rainbowlike colors
The polished opal reveals shifting colors as its viewing angle changes.
Etymology
Latin opalus already named this gemstone. A suggested deeper connection with Sanskrit upala, “gem, precious stone,” remains uncertain, so it offers only a possible explanation of the name.
In context
For those of you that have seen an opal gem, this is again like a brilliant color that changes as you rotate the gem, that is also a structural color.
More examples
- The jeweler sets a small opal in a silver pendant.
- These opals show different colors as you turn them.
- She chooses opal earrings to match her necklace.
Forms
opal · opals
opalescent adjective — showing a milky, shifting play of colors
Similar words
- gemstone
- Names any stone valued for jewelry, not specifically opal.