agate

UK: /ˈæɡət/ US: /ˈægɪt/ ,(ag′it)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ag•ate /ˈægɪt/   n. 

1. a stone used in jewelry, with curved, colored bands or other markings:
   [uncountable] The pendant was made of beautiful agate.
   [countable] polished agates.
2. [countable] a playing marble made of agate.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ag•ate  (ag′it), n. 

1. a variegated chalcedony showing curved, colored bands or other markings.
2. a playing marble made of this substance, or of glass in imitation of it.
3. Printing a 5½-point type of a size between pearl and nonpareil. Cf. ruby (def. 5).

• Greek achá̄tēs
• Old French agathe or Italian agata (initial stress) Medieval Latin achātēs
• Middle English ac(c)ate, achate, agaten (compare Dutch agaat, Old Saxon agāt, Old High German agat), apparently 1150–1200

ag′ate•like′, ag′a•toid′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

agate / ˈæɡɪt/ noun

1. an impure microcrystalline form of quartz consisting of a variegated, usually banded chalcedony, used as a gemstone and in making pestles and mortars, burnishers, and polishers. Formula: SiO₂
2. a playing marble of this quartz or resembling it

Etymology: 16th Century: via French from Latin achātēs, from Greek akhatēs

agate / əˈɡeɪt/ adverb

1. on the way

Etymology: 16th Century: a-² + gate³

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Agate / ˈæɡeɪt/ noun

1. James (Evershed). 1877–1947, British theatre critic; drama critic for The Sunday Times (1923–47) and author of a nine-volume diary Ego (1935–49)