sapphire

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sapphire^¹

/ˈsæf.aɪ̯ə/ UK
/ˈsæf.aɪ̯əɹ/ US

Where it comes from

From Middle English saphir, from Old French saphir, from Latin sapphir, sappir, sapphīrus, from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros, “precious stone, gem”), from a Semitic language such as Hebrew סַפִּיר (sappī́r, “lapis lazuli”), originally from Assyrian Akkadian šipirtu (“lapis lazuli”).

noun sapphires

countable A clear deep blue variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone. “Alas! I have no ruby now,” said the Prince; “my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago.”
countable, uncountable A white, yellow, or purple variety of corundum, either clear or translucent.
countable, uncountable A deep blue colour.
countable, uncountable Azure, when blazoning by precious stones. Elgin. Topaz a Saltier and Chief Ruby, on a Canton Pearl a Lyon Rampant Saphyr, which last is their paternal Coat; […]
countable Any hummingbird in the genera Hylocharis and Chlorestes, as well as the rufous-throated sapphire, which is now in the genus Amazilia.
countable, uncountable Any of the butterflies in the southern Asian lycaenid genus Heliophorus or the African lycaenid genus Iolaus.

adjective more sapphire · most sapphire

of a deep blue colour. At about eleven, we uncaged our pigeons, who flew away into the sapphire sky that hung like a sail from the white peaks.
pertaining to a 45th year

Sapphire^²

proper noun

A female given name from English from the precious stone. I asked her once how a little girl who didn't have blue eyes ended up being called Sapphire. She pursed her lips for a few seconds, clearly wondering how she could get away with not telling me. 'My older brother is called Mistral,' she said in the end. 'My younger sister is Blaze. I'd say I was the
A locality in the Inverell council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.

noun Sapphires

A stereotype of an aggressive and domineering black woman. When black women speak up about indignities, they are Sapphires. When black women stand up for their rights, they are Sapphires.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: azure, cerulean, lazuline, sky-blue, chromatic, colored, saphire, saphir, sapher, saffire, ruby, water sapphire, white sapphire, corundum, turquoise, sapphirine

Translations

Every language

noun corundum

Español	zafiro
日本語	サファイア safaia
हिन्दी	याकूत yākūt, याक़ूत yāqūt, नीलम nīlam, नीलमणि nīlamṇi, इंद्रनील indranīl, कुरुविंद kuruvind
Ελληνικά	σάπφειρος sápfeiros
العربية	يَاقُوت yāqūt

noun colour

한국어	사파이어색 sapaieosaek
Deutsch	Saphirblau
Ελληνικά	ζαφειρένιο zafeirénio
العربية	أَزْرَق يَاقُوتِيّ ʔazraq yāqūtiyy

noun gem

Español	zafiro
한국어	사파이어 sapaieo
日本語	サファイア safaia
中文	藍寶石 /蓝宝石 lánbǎoshí
हिन्दी	नीलम nīlam, इंद्रनील indranīl, नीलमणि nīlamṇi, याकूत yākūt, याक़ूत yāqūt
Kiswahili	yakuti samawi
Português	safira
Français	saphir
Deutsch	Saphir
Italiano	zaffiro
Ελληνικά	ζαφείρι zafeíri
Română	safir
Русский	сапфи́р sapfír
Tiếng Việt	xa-phia
العربية	يَاقُوت yāqūt, زَفِير zafīr, يَاقُوت أَزْرَق yāqūt ʔazraq
עברית	סַפִּיר sappír

noun type of hummingbird

Español	esmeralda gorgiazul
Português	beija-flor-de-garganta-azul
Français	colibri à menton bleu

adj colour

日本語	サファイア色 safaiairo
中文	蓝宝石 lán bǎoshí
Français	saphir
Deutsch	saphirblau, strahlend blau
Ελληνικά	ζαφειρένιος zafeirénios

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Cite this

MLA

"sapphire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sapphire. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sapphire. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sapphire

Chicago

"sapphire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sapphire.

BibTeX

@misc{sapphire_2026,
  title = {sapphire},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sapphire},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}