cinnabar

[ sin-uh-bahr ]
/ ˈsɪn əˌbɑr /

noun

a mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS, occurring in red crystals or masses: the principal ore of mercury.
red mercuric sulfide, used as a pigment.
bright red; vermillion.

Origin of cinnabar

1350–1400; < Latin cinnabaris < Greek kinnábari < ?; replacing Middle English cynoper < Medieval Latin, Latin as above

OTHER WORDS FROM cinnabar

cin·na·bar·ine [sin-uh-buh-reen, -ber-in, -bahr-ahyn, -een] /ˈsɪn ə bəˌrin, -bər ɪn, -ˌbɑr aɪn, -in/, cin·na·bar·ic [sin-uh-bar-ik] /ˌsɪn əˈbær ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby cinnabar

cingulectomy, cingulotomy, cingulum, cinisello balsamo, cinna, cinnabar, cinnamene, cinnamic, cinnamic acid, cinnamic alcohol, cinnamic aldehyde

Example sentences from the Web for cinnabar

British Dictionary definitions for cinnabar

cinnabar
/ (ˈsɪnəˌbɑː) /

noun

a bright red or brownish-red mineral form of mercuric sulphide (mercury(II) sulphide), found close to areas of volcanic activity and hot springs. It is the main commercial source of mercury. Formula: HgS. Crystal structure: hexagonal
the red form of mercuric sulphide (mercury(II) sulphide), esp when used as a pigment
a bright red to reddish-orange; vermilion
a large red-and-black European moth, Callimorpha jacobaeae: family Arctiidae (tiger moths, etc)

Word Origin for cinnabar

C15: from Old French cenobre, from Latin cinnābaris, from Greek kinnabari, of Oriental origin