chatoyant

[ shuh-toi-uh nt ]
/ ʃəˈtɔɪ ənt /

adjective

changing in luster or color: chatoyant silk.
Jewelry. reflecting a single streak of light when cut in a cabochon.

noun

Jewelry. a cabochon-cut gemstone having this reflected streak, as a chrysoberyl cat's-eye.

Origin of chatoyant

1790–1800; < French, special use of present participle of chatoyer to change luster like a cat's eye, equivalent to chat cat + -oy- v. suffix + -ant -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM chatoyant

cha·toy·ance, cha·toy·an·cy, noun

Example sentences from the Web for chatoyant

British Dictionary definitions for chatoyant

chatoyant
/ (ʃəˈtɔɪənt) /

adjective

having changeable lustre; twinkling
(of a gem, esp a cabochon) displaying a band of light reflected off inclusions of other minerals

noun

a gemstone with a changeable lustre, such as a cat's eye

Derived forms of chatoyant

chatoyancy, noun

Word Origin for chatoyant

C18: from French, from chatoyer to gleam like a cat's eyes, from chat cat 1