Forms: 4–7 emeraud(e, -awd(e, emraud, (4 emeraund, -rad(e, -royde, emmorant, 5 emerant, 6 amerand, emerode, emorade, emrade, -rode,) 7 hemerauld, emrald, -auld, -old, (8 emerant), 6– emerald. [a. OF. emeraude, esmeraude, esmeralde (Fr. émeraude); cf. Pr. esmerauda, Sp., Pg. esmeralda, It. smeraldo:—Com. Romanic types *smaralda, *smaraldo, repr. L. smaragdus, a. Gr. σμάραγδος: see SMARAGDUS. The change of gd into ld in Romanic occurs in other cases, as It. Baldacca for Bagdad. In Eng. the form with ld does not appear in our quots. before 16th c., when it may be due to Sp. influence.]
1. A precious stone of bright green color; in mod. use exclusively applied to a variety of the Beryl species (see BERYL sb. 2), found chiefly in S. America, Siberia and India.
In early examples the word, like most other names of precious stones, is of vague meaning; the mediæval references to the stone are often based upon the descriptions given by classical writers of the smaragdus, the identity of which with our emerald is doubtful. In the AV. (as previously by Tindale) emerald has been adopted as the rendering of Heb. nōphek (LXX. ἄνθραξ, Vulg. carbunculus), a gem as to the nature of which there is no evidence.]
c. 1300. K. Alis., 7030. Grete drakis … emeraundis in mouth bare.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., v. 26. Ase emeraude a-morewen this may haveth myht.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., II. vii. 79. The Emerawde … is … playsaunt to the eye.
1526. Tindale, Rev. xxi. 19. The fourth an emeralde.
1527. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 244. Unum annulum cum lapide vocato an emorade.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 243 [249]. Fine emrauds set in golde.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 454. Our cups … must be set out with hemeraulds.
1609. Bible (Douay), Ex. xxviii. 19. In the first rew shal be … the emeraud.
1634. Milton, Comus, 894. My chariot thick set with emerald green.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., II. 523. A ring … having an emrold set therein between two diamonds.
1750. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The emerald is supposed … to arrive at its greenness by slow degrees.
1842. Lytton, Zanoni, 28. Valleys where the birds build their nests with emeralds to attract the moths.
1861. C. W. King, Ant. Gems (1866), 29. The Bactrian and Scythian Emeralds were considered the best.
2. Her. The name given by English heralds to the green color (ordinarily called vert) when it occurs in the arms of the nobility.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 60 b. The fielde is of the Topaze, a Basiliske displayed, Emeraude, cristed, Saphire.
3. transf. as name of its color; = emerald-green.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 107. Scales of Brass thrice calcin’d … will make a Sea-green, an Emerald … with many other colours.
4. Printing. The name of the size of type larger than nonpareil and smaller than minion: Emerald Type.
5. attrib. and Comb. a. Simple attrib.
1877. W. Jones, Finger-ring L., 127. An emerald ring was thought to ensure purity.
b. quasi-adj. Brilliantly green like the emerald.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., V. v. 74. Hony Soit Qui Mal-y-Pence, write In Emrold-tuffes.
1722. Rogers, Pleas. Mem., I. 145. The glow-worm loves her emerald-light to shed.
1813. Hogg, Kilmeny. The stillness that lay on the emerant lee.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 158. That vast expanse of emerald meadow.
1855. Singleton, Virgil, I. 8. Thou mightest have reposed This night upon the emerald foliage.
c. Similative in adjs., as emerald-bright, -green, -like.
1614. Earl Stirling, Doomes-Day, Twelfth Houre (R.). Rivers … emulate the emerauld-like grasse.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xxv. 177. A … flame of a circular figure and Emerald green colour.
1860. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., V. VI. ix. 84. The glades between emerald-bright.
1879. R. H. Elliot, Written on Foreheads, I. 1. The fields in the low grounds were emerald green.
d. Special combinations or phrases: † emerald copper (Min.) DIOPTASE; emerald green, a durable pigment of a vivid light-green color, prepared from the arseniate of copper; Emerald Isle, a name given to Ireland, on account of its prevailing verdure; emerald moth (Entom.), a name applied to certain moths of the genera Hipparchus, Hemithea, and Cleora, distinguished by their bright green color; emerald nickel (Min.), a native hydrocarbonate of nickel.
1815. Aikin, Min., 91. *Emerald Copper … occurs crystallized in lengthened dodecahedrons.
1879. Rood, Mod. Chromatics, ix. 121. The pigment known as *emerald-green.
1795. Dr. W. Drennan, Erin, in Notes & Q., Ser. ii. IX. 199. The men of the *Emerald Isle. [Drennan afterwards claimed to have invented the name.]
1842. Orderson, Creoleana, v. 46. Our friend of the Emerald Isle.
1845. Westwood, Brit. Moths, II. 17. Hipparchus papilionarius (the large *emerald). Hemithea vernaria (the small emerald). Hemithea smaragdaria (the Essex emerald). Cleora bajularia (the blotched emerald).
1848. Amer. Jrnl. Sc., Ser. II. VI. 248. *Emerald Nickel from Texas.
