hyacinth

hy·a·cinth

hyacinth

1. among the ancients, a blue gem, probably the sapphire
2. any of the reddish-orange or brownish varieties of zircon or certain other minerals, used as a semiprecious stone
1. any of a genus (Hyacinthus) of plants of the lily family, with narrow channeled leaves and spikes of fragrant, bell-shaped flowers in white, yellow, red, blue, or purple
2. the bulb of any of these plants
3. the flower
a bluish purple

Origin of hyacinth

Classical Latin hyacinthus from Classical Greek hyakinthos, wild hyacinth, bluebell, blue larkspur, hence a blue gem

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"hyacinth." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/hyacinth>.

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hyacinth. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/hyacinth

hyacinth

noun

a. A bulbous Mediterranean plant (Hyacinthus orientalis) having narrow leaves and a terminal raceme of variously colored, usually fragrant flowers, with a funnel-shaped perianth.
b. Any of several similar or related plants, such as the grape hyacinth.
Greek Mythology A plant, perhaps the larkspur, gladiolus, or iris, that sprang from the blood of the slain Hyacinthus.
A deep purplish blue to vivid violet.
a. A reddish or cinnamon-colored variety of transparent zircon, used as a gemstone. Also called jacinth .
b. A blue precious stone, perhaps the sapphire, known in antiquity.

Origin of hyacinth

Latin hyacinthus from Greek huakinthos wild hyacinth

Related Forms:

hy′a·cin′thine
adjective

hyacinth

garden hyacinth

Hyacinthus orientalis

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"hyacinth." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/hyacinth>.

APA Style

hyacinth. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/hyacinth

Noun

(plural hyacinths)

Any bulbous plant of the genus Hyacinthus, native to the Mediterranean and South Africa.
A variety of zircon, ranging in color from brown, orange, reddish-brown and yellow; a jacinth.

Origin

From Middle English jacinth, from Old French jacincte, from Medieval Latin jacintus, from Latin hyacinthus, from Ancient Greek ὑάκινθος (huakinthos, “any of several dark blue flowers”), ultimately from a non-Indo-European Mediterranean language. Relatinized 16c.

Proper noun

Alternative form of Hyacinthus.
(rare) A male given name.
A female given name. One of the less common flower names used since the 19th century.

Origin

Latin Hyacinthus, a saint's name from the name of an Ancient Greek Ὑάκινθος (Huakinthos), a mythological character .

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"hyacinth." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/hyacinth>.

APA Style

hyacinth. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/hyacinth

hyacinth

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