chatoyant
Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
cat's-eye quartz
cha·toy·ant
(shə-toi′ənt)adj.
Having a changeable luster.
n.
A chatoyant stone or gemstone, such as the cat's-eye.
[French, present participle of chatoyer, to shimmer like cats' eyes, from chat, cat, from Vulgar Latin *cattus, perhaps of African origin.]
cha·toy′an·cy n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
chatoyant
(ʃəˈtɔɪənt)adj
1. having changeable lustre; twinkling
2. (Jewellery) (of a gem, esp a cabochon) displaying a band of light reflected off inclusions of other minerals
n
(Jewellery) a gemstone with a changeable lustre, such as a cat's eye
[C18: from French, from chatoyer to gleam like a cat's eyes, from chat cat1]
chaˈtoyancy, chaˈtoyance n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cha•toy•ant
(ʃəˈtɔɪ ənt)adj.
1. changing in luster or color: chatoyant silk.
2. (of a gemstone) reflecting a single streak of light when cut in a cabochon.
n. 3. a chatoyant gemstone, as a cat's-eye.
[1790–1800; < French, present participle of chatoyer to change luster like a cat's eye, v. derivative of chat cat]
cha•toy′ance, cha•toy′an•cy, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. | chatoyant - varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles; "changeable taffeta"; "chatoyant (or shot) silk"; "a dragonfly hovered, vibrating and iridescent" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.