What does "topaz" mean?
A silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine, usually tinted by impurities.
Topaz
/ˈtoʊˌpæz/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine, usually tinted by impurities.
- Grammar: topaz is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: amber, amber-colored, amber-yellow, brown.
- Useful contrasts: blue, colorless, drab.
- Usage evidence: These topaz earrings have been in my family for three generations.
How to use "topaz"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "topaz" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "topaz" 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 "topaz" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "topaz" 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 "topaz" is acting as adj, name, noun 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 "amber" 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 "topaz", 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 A silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine, usually tinted by impurities. uncountable, usually
- 2 A black Catholic soldier in the British Army. British, India, historical
- 3 a light brown the color of topaz wordnet
- 4 An often clear, yellowish-brown gemstone cut from this. uncountable, usually
"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."
- 5 a mineral (fluosilicate of aluminum) that occurs in crystals of various colors and is used as a gemstone wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone. uncountable, usually
- 7 a yellow quartz wordnet
- 8 Or (gold or yellow), in blazoning by precious stones. uncountable, usually
"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-Liss Topaz, for Montgomery; 2d and 3d, Ruby three Anulets Topaz', ston'd Saphyr, for the Title of Eglington; […]"
- 9 Either of two species of very large hummingbirds in the genus Topaza. uncountable, usually
- 10 A ruby-topaz hummingbird, Chrysolampis mosquitus, the male of which has bright ruby feathers on the head and topaz on the throat uncountable, usually
Adjective
- 1 Of a yellowish-brown color, like that of the gemstone.
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name. rare
- 2 A census-designated place in Mono County, California, United States.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"These topaz earrings have been in my family for three generations."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "topaz"?
Common synonyms include: amber, amber-colored, amber-yellow, brown, color, color grade label.
How do you use "topaz" in a sentence?
These topaz earrings have been in my family for three generations.
How do you pronounce "topaz"?
Pronounced /ˈtoʊˌpæz/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old French topace (compare French topaze), from Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos).
Etymology 2
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.
Etymology 3
From the precious stone topaz.