topaz

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtəʊˌpæz/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈtoʊˌpæz/

From Old French topace (compare French topaze), from Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos).

topaz (usually uncountable, plural topazes)

1. A silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine, usually tinted by impurities.
2. An often clear, yellowish-brown gemstone cut from this.
   • 1891, Oscar Wilde, A House of Pomegranates, Moffat, Yard and Company, published 1918, page 123:

     In the market‐place stand the fruitsellers, who sell all kinds of fruit: ripe figs, with their bruised purple flesh, melons, smelling of musk and yellow as topazes, citrons and rose‐apples and clusters of white grapes, round red‐gold oranges, and oval lemons of green gold.

   • 2012 March, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 June 2012, page 128:

     Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade.

3. A yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone.

   topaz:  

4. (heraldry) Or (gold or yellow), in blazoning by precious stones.
   • 1720, Francis Nichols, Rudiments of Honour, page 296:

     Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; and the Field Topaz, and Saltier, and Chief Ruby, was the Arms of King Robert the Bruce, they altering the Field from Pearl (as he bore it) to Topaz. / Eglington. Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Saphyr three Flower-de-Lis's Topaz, for Montgomery; 2d and 3d, Ruby three Anulets Topaz, ston'd Saphyr, for the Title of Eglington; […]

   • 1726, John Guillim, The Banner Display'd; Or, an Abridgment of Guillim, page 504:

     The Field is Ruby, on a Bend Topaz, three Martlets Diamond. […] 4. Pearl, on a Bend Diamond, nine Annulets conjoined in three Links Topaz.

   • 1754, John Lodge, The Peerage of Ireland; Or, a Genealogical History of the ..., page 71:

     (1) Pearl, a Cross, Ruby, with the Effigies of our Saviour thereon, Topaz, born in Memory of one of the Family's fighting against the Turks. (2) Topaz, a Chief Indented, Saphire. (3) Ruby, three covered Cups, Topaz […]

5. Either of two species of very large hummingbirds in the genus Topaza.
6. A ruby-topaz hummingbird, Chrysolampis mosquitus, the male of which has bright ruby feathers on the head and topaz on the throat

• → Irish: tópás
• → Welsh: topas

topaz

1. Of a yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone.

• Appendix:Colors
• Killiecrankie diamond

• David Barthelmy (1997–2025) “Topaz”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
• “topaz”, in Mindat.org‎^[2], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2025.

Various theories. Hobson-Jobson mentions as possibilities a corruption of Persian (from Turkish) top-chi, "gunner", or a connection with topee, from the hats they wore.

• toepass, topass, toupas

topaz (plural topazes)

1. (historical, British India) A black Catholic soldier in the British Army.

• Henry Yule, A[rthur] C[oke] Burnell (1903) “topaz”, in William Crooke, editor, Hobson-Jobson […] , London: John Murray, […].

• topas

• IPA^(key): [ˈtopas]

topaz m inan

1. topaz (clear, yellowish-brown gemstone)

Borrowed from French topaze.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɔ.pas/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔpas
• Syllabification: to‧paz

topaz m inan (related adjective topazowy)

1. topaz (gem)

• topaz in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• topaz in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Borrowed from French topaze.

topaz n (plural topaze)

1. topaz

topaz f (Cyrillic spelling топаз)

1. topaz (gemstone)