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sap·phire (săfīr′)
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n.
1. A clear hard variety of corundum used as a gemstone that is usually blue but may be any color except red.
2. A corundum gem.
3. The blue color of a gem sapphire.
adj.
1. Made of or resembling a gem sapphire.
2. Having the color of a blue sapphire.
3. Of or relating to a 65th anniversary.
[Middle English saphir, from Old French safir, from Latin sapphīrus, from Greek sappheiros, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew sappîr, a precious stone.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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