What does turquoise mean?
Turquoise is a word with two closely connected meanings: a vivid blue-green color and the gemstone traditionally valued for that color. The stone is a variety of beryl and has been used in jewelry, ornaments, and decorative objects for thousands of years. As an adjective, turquoise describes anything of its characteristic blue-green shade, from a clear tropical sea to a painted wall or piece of clothing. The color commonly carries associations with calm, freshness, summer skies, and water, although its appearance varies considerably according to lighting and the material being described. Because the gemstone and the color share such a strong visual relationship, turquoise can evoke both natural beauty and carefully crafted jewelry. The word is standard in British and American English, with small differences in pronunciation and usage preference but no major regional restriction.
A blue-green mineral, a variety of beryl, used as a gemstone; also the blue-green color associated with it.
"The museum displayed a polished turquoise from ancient jewelry."
Blue-green in color, especially in the vivid shade associated with the gemstone.
"A turquoise scarf complemented her dark coat."
To color or make something turquoise.
"The artist turquoised the ceramic vase with a bright glaze."
The plural is used for separate turquoise gemstones or objects made from, decorated with, or identified by turquoise. The color itself is normally an uncountable noun.
"The jeweler displayed several turquoises set in silver."
The name has traveled through Persian and Turkish before reaching English, carrying a gem prized across many cultures.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does turquoise come from?
English borrowed the word through Old French, whose form turquoise or turquoise came from Turkish. Turkish in turn borrowed it from Persian, where the related word denotes a blue or blue-green stone. The modern English sense developed from the gemstone’s characteristic color, and the color sense eventually became dominant in ordinary usage.
How turquoise is actually used
As a color, turquoise is commonly used in descriptions of water, skies, clothing, decorations, and jewelry. As a gemstone, it is usually countable when referring to individual stones. The verb is relatively uncommon and is more typical of descriptive or creative writing than everyday speech.