jade
noun
- any of various hard greenish gems used in jewelry and artistic carvings, including jadeite and nephrite
- a green color of medium hue
Origin: Fr < Sp (piedra de) ijada, (stone of) the side, loin < VL *iliata < L ilia, pl. of ileum (see ileum): from the notion that it cured pains in the side
adjective
- made of jade
- green like jade
noun
- a horse, esp. a worn-out, worthless one
- a loose or disreputable woman
- Now Rare a saucy, pert young woman
Origin: ME, prob. via Anglo-Fr < ON jalda, a mare < Finn
Related Forms:
- jadish adjective
See jade in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- Either of two distinct minerals, nephrite and jadeite, that are generally pale green or white and are used mainly as gemstones or in carving.
- A carving made of jade.
- Jade green.
Origin:
Origin: French (le) jade, (the) jade
Origin: , alteration of (l')ejade
Origin: , from Spanish (piedra de) ijada, flank (stone) (from the belief that it cured renal colic)
Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *īliāta
Origin: , from Latin īlia
Origin: , pl. of īlium, flank
.Related Forms:
- jade adjective
verb jad·ed, jad·ing, jades verb, transitive
- A broken-down or useless horse; a nag.
- A woman regarded as disreputable or shrewish.
Origin:
Origin: From Middle English iade, cart-horse, nag
Origin: ; akin to Swedish dialectal jälda, mare
Origin: , possibly of Finno-Ugric origin
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