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n. 1. A purple or violet form of transparent quartz used as a gemstone. 2. A purple variety of corundum used as a gemstone. 3. A moderate purple to grayish reddish purple. [Middle English amatist, from Old French, from Latin amethystus, from Greek amethustos, not drunk or intoxicating, remedy for intoxication, amethyst : a-, not; see A-1 + methuskein, to intoxicate (from methuein, to be drunk, from methu, wine; see medhu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] am′e·thystine (-thĭstĭn, -tīn′) adj. |
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