Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun, plural chal·ced·o·nies.
- a microcrystalline, translucent variety of quartz, often milky or grayish.
noun plural -nies
- a microcrystalline often greyish form of quartz with crystals arranged in parallel fibres: a gemstone. Formula: SiO 2
c.1300, from Latin calcedonius, in Vulgate translating Greek khalkedon in Rev. xxi:19, found nowhere else. Connection with Chalcedon in Asia Minor “is very doubtful” [OED]. The city name is from Phoenician and means “new town.”
- A type of quartz that has a waxy luster and varies from transparent to translucent. It is usually white, pale-blue, gray, brown, or black and is often found as a lining in cavities. Agate, flint, and onyx are forms of chalcedony. Chemical formula: SiO2.