agate

n. hard semiprecious stone often having variegated colorful stripes; standard font size equal to 5 1/2 points

Agate is a type of quartz (silica), chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks but can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.The colorful agate and other chalcedonies were obtained over 3,000 years ago from the Achates River, now the Dirillo, in Sicily. The stone given the name by a Greek by the name of Theophrastus, who discovered the stone along the shore line of the river Achates sometime between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.
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Agate may refer to: In Minerals:Agate, a semi-precious stoneFire Agate, a layered stoneMoss agate, a semi-precious gemstoneGreek agate, a colored agate found in Sicily back to 400 B.CLake Superior agate, a type of Agate found on the shores of Lake SuperiorIn Geography:Agate Beach, Oregon, a community in the U.S. state of OregonAgate, Colorado, a U.S. townAgate Desert in OregonAgate Pass, a strait in Puget Sound, WashingtonAgate Fossil Beds National Monument, a U.S. National MonumentIn Technology:A NASA program known as AGATE or the Advanced General Aviation Transport ExperimentsAgate (rocket), the French rocketAGATE, a framework for modeling system architectures, promoted by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement
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Noun
1. an impure form of quartz consisting of banded chalcedony; used as a gemstone and for making mortars and pestles
(hypernym) chalcedony, calcedony
(hyponym) moss agate

n. agate, hard semiprecious stone often having variegated colorful stripes; standard font size equal to 5 1/2 points

(n.)
A tool used by gold-wire drawers, bookbinders, etc.; -- so called from the agate fixed in it for burnishing.
  

(n.)
A semipellucid, uncrystallized variety of quartz, presenting various tints in the same specimen. Its colors are delicately arranged in stripes or bands, or blended in clouds.
  

(n.)
A kind of type, larger than pearl and smaller than nonpareil; in England called ruby.
  

(n.)
A diminutive person; so called in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings and seals.
  

(adv.)
On the way; agoing; as, to be agate; to set the bells agate.