opal

Meaning

1. A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO₂·nH₂O.
2. A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO₂·nH₂O.
3. A colloquial name used in molecular biology referring to a particular stop codon sequence, "UGA."
4. Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Nesolycaena.

Synonyms

lactescent

milky

noble

opalescent

pearl

silica

milky white

round silvery-white gem

flint

milklike

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈəʊpəl/

Etymology

In Florio’s A World of Words 1598 as opale, from French opale, from Latin opalus, from Byzantine Greek ὀπάλλιος (opállios), from Sanskrit उपल (upala, “gem, stone”), from उपरि (upári, “the upper millstone”). Distantly related to over.