What does sardius mean?
Sardius is a rare, chiefly historical noun for a red or reddish-brown precious stone identified with chalcedony. It was valued as a gem and appears in ancient and biblical descriptions of royal or sacred ornaments, most notably the breastplate described in the Book of Exodus. In modern English, the word is encountered mainly in religious, literary, or historical writing rather than in everyday speech. Although sardius is sometimes used broadly for sardonyx, the terms are not always interchangeable: sardonyx specifically denotes banded chalcedony, while sardius has traditionally been associated with a red variety of chalcedony. The word is useful because it preserves an older layer of English vocabulary associated with gemstones, antiquity, and biblical culture.
nounA red or reddish-brown precious stone, usually identified as a variety of chalcedony. The term is chiefly historical and is especially associated with biblical and literary descriptions of gemstones.
- A red or reddish-brown variety of chalcedony used as a gemstone, now chiefly encountered in historical, biblical, and literary contexts.
"The jeweler set a polished sardius beside the emerald."
"The jeweler set a polished sardius beside the emerald."
"The biblical description places a sardius in the first row of the high priest's breastplate."
The standard plural is sardii, although the word is now rare outside historical and literary contexts.
"Several sardii were set among the other precious stones."
A sardius was among the precious stones listed in the biblical high priest's breastplate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sardius come from?
English borrowed the word in its Latin form, sardius, from Ancient Greek sárdion, a term connected with precious stones. The same Greek naming tradition also produced sardonyx, while Sardis reflects an associated ancient place-name and naming complex. English later retained the Latin-style plural sardii.
Related word forms
How sardius is actually used
Sardius is rare in modern English and has a formal, historical, or archaic register. It occurs especially in discussions of biblical gemstones and older descriptions of precious stones.
Easily confused with sardius
A sardius is a gemstone, while a sardine is a fish or, in another historical usage, a type of agate.