nephrite

See also: néphrite

English

Etymology

From Latin lapis nephriticus, via Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos) νεφριτικός (nephritikós), meaning kidney stone, because jade was believed to have cured kidney stones.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnɛfˌɹaɪt/

Noun

nephrite (countable and uncountable, plural nephrites)

  1. (mineralogy) A semi-precious stone, one of the two types of stone commonly referred to as jade (the other being jadeite).
    • 1968, S. Howard Hansford, “The Material and Its Sources”, in Chinese Carved Jades‎[1], Greenwich, Conn.: New York Graphic Society Ltd., →LCCN, →OCLC, page 27:
      Occurrences of nephrite are more numerous. China’s most important source throughout its history has been the region of Khotan (Ho-t‘ien) and Yarkand in Central Asia. In more recent times the Chinese have also imported nephrite from the neighbourhood of Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia.

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