different between chatoyant vs cymophane

English

Etymology

From French chatoyant, present participle of chatoyer (“to iridesce, like a cat's eye”), from chat (“cat”, because of the reflective qualities of a cat's eye).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /???t???nt/

Adjective

chatoyant (comparative more chatoyant, superlative most chatoyant)

1. (jewelry) Having a certain optical reflectance effect, which can be likened to the sheen of a spool of silk.

Related terms

• chatoyancy

Noun

chatoyant (plural chatoyants)

1. (mineralogy) A hard stone, such as the cat's-eye, which presents on a polished surface, and in the interior, an undulating or wavy light.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?a.twa.j??/

Verb

chatoyant

1. present participle of chatoyer

Adjective

chatoyant (feminine singular chatoyante, masculine plural chatoyants, feminine plural chatoyantes)

1. shimmering, iridescent

Further reading

• “chatoyant” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ???- (k?m-), the short stem of ???? (kûma, “wave”) + -????? (-phan?s, “-showing”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?s??m?(?)fe?n/

Noun

cymophane (countable and uncountable, plural cymophanes)

1. (mineralogy) A translucent yellowish chatoyant chrysoberyl.

Synonyms

• cat's eye

Derived terms

• cymophanous

Translations

French

Noun

cymophane f (plural cymophanes)

1. (mineralogy) cymophane

Further reading

• “cymophane” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).