Word Explorer

Opal

/ˈəʊpəl/

A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO2·nH2O.

📖 Definitions of "Opal"

noun
  1. 1

    A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO2·nH2O.

  2. 2

    A colloquial name used in molecular biology referring to a particular stop codon sequence, "UGA."

  3. 3

    Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Nesolycaena.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Opal"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

WordDefinition
moonstonenoun(mineralogy) A translucent gemstone, an orthoclase feldspar, that has a pearly lustre.
hyalitenoun(mineralogy) A form of opal.
menilitenoun(mineralogy) A greyish-brown form of opal.
girasolnounA fire opal.
geyseritenoun(mineralogy) A type of stone, a mixture of quartz and opal deposited by a geyser as it precipitates out of the boiling water.
gemstonenounA gem, usually made of minerals.
gemnounA precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
roanounA surname.
phytolithsnounA small particle of silica or mineral that occurs in many plants.
silicon dioxidenoun(chemistry) A hard glassy mineral, SiO₂, occurring as quartz, sand, opal etc. Informally known as silica.
semiopalnoun(mineralogy) A translucent variety of opal
sonolitenoun(mineralogy) A monoclinic-prismatic mineral containing fluorine, hydrogen, manganese, oxygen, and silicon.
opalineResembling opal in having a milky white iridescence.
aluminosilicatenoun(inorganic chemistry) Any of many silicate minerals, such as feldspar and zeolite, in which a proportion of the Si⁴⁺ ions are replaced by Al³⁺, the excess negative charge being balanced by extra sodium, potassium or calcium ions.
quartznoun(mineralogy) The most abundant mineral on the earth's surface, of chemical composition silicon dioxide, SiO₂. It occurs in a variety of forms, both crystalline and amorphous. Found in every environment.
palmieritenoun(mineralogy) A trigonal-hexagonal scalenohedral mineral containing lead, oxygen, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.
orthosilicatenoun(mineralogy) Any silicate mineral, such as garnet or olivine, in which the SiO₄ tetrahedra do not share oxygen atoms with each other.
sillimanitenoun(mineralogy) A fibrous neosilicate mineral, polymorphic with andalusite and kyanite, with the chemical formula Al₂SiO₅.
quartzinenoun(mineralogy) A fibrous form of silica similar to chalcedony.
analcimenoun(mineralogy) A sodium aluminosilicate with a chemical formula NaAlSi₂O₆·H₂O, having a zeolite structure, found in alkaline basalts.

Words Strongly Associated with "Opal"

These words statistically appear in the same text as "opal" (Google Books Ngrams).

🎨 Adjectives for "Opal"

Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.

🏷️ Nouns for "Opal"

Common nouns this word is used to describe.

📝 Common Phrases with "Opal"

Words that come before

Words that come after

🌐 Broader and Narrower Concepts

More General (hypernyms)

More Specific (hyponyms)

Translate “Opal” into Another Language

Pick a language — the word will be pre-filled in the translator.

🔗 Explore Related Words