Agate

/ˈæɡ.ɪt/ adv, noun, slang

adv, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating dark and light stripes or bands, or blended in clouds; various authorities call it a variety of chalcedony, a variety of quartz, or a combination of the two.
  • Grammar: agate is listed as adv, noun, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: ball, banded, banded chalcedony, bat.
  • Useful contrasts: bare, monochrome, solid color.
  • Usage evidence: I often see cheap accessories made of agate sold in street stalls and such but are they the real thing?

How to use "agate"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "agate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "agate" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "agate" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "agate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "agate" is acting as adv, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "ball" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "agate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating dark and light stripes or bands, or blended in clouds; various authorities call it a variety of chalcedony, a variety of quartz, or a combination of the two. countable, uncountable

    "The ends of the veil, drawn over her head, were embroidered with silver; she had long gold ear-rings; to a rich and large gold chain was suspended a cross set with precious stones; and over the arm of her chair hung a rosary of agate beads."

  2. 2
    an impure form of quartz consisting of banded chalcedony; used as a gemstone and for making mortars and pestles wordnet
  3. 3
    The size of type between pearl and nonpareil, standardized as 5+¹⁄₂-point. US, dated, uncountable
  4. 4
    One fourteenth of an inch. countable
  5. 5
    A diminutive person; so called in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings and seals. countable, obsolete
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.;—so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing. countable
  2. 7
    A marble made from agate. countable
  3. 8
    A testicle. countable, plural-normally, slang, uncountable
Adverb
  1. 1
    On the way; agoing. not-comparable, obsolete

    "Go to it then hardily, and let us be agate."

Synonyms

All synonyms

Antonyms

Example

"I often see cheap accessories made of agate sold in street stalls and such but are they the real thing?"

Common questions

What does "agate" mean?

A semitransparent, uncrystallized silicate mineral and semiprecious stone, presenting various tints in the same specimen, with colors delicately arranged and often curved in parallel alternating dark and light stripes or bands, or blended in clouds; various authorities call it a variety of chalcedony, a variety of quartz, or a combination of the two.

What is a synonym for "agate"?

Common synonyms include: ball, banded, banded chalcedony, bat, battledore, bauble.

How do you use "agate" in a sentence?

I often see cheap accessories made of agate sold in street stalls and such but are they the real thing?

How do you pronounce "agate"?

Pronounced /ˈæɡ.ɪt/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle French agathe, from Latin achatēs, from Ancient Greek ἀχάτης (akhátēs, “agate”).

Etymology 2

From Late Middle English agate, a gate. Equivalent to a- (“on”) + gate (“way, path”).

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