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

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"hyacinth." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/Hyacinth>.

APA Style

hyacinth. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://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.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"hyacinth." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/Hyacinth>.

APA Style

hyacinth. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://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.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"hyacinth." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 11 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/Hyacinth>.

APA Style

hyacinth. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/Hyacinth

hyacinth

hyacinth

hyacinth

Sentence Examples

Also Mentioned In

Words near hyacinth in the dictionary

hyacinth

hyacinth

hyacinth

Sentence Examples

Also Mentioned In

Words near hyacinth in the dictionary

Join YourDictionary today