sapphire

adj

Etymology: From Middle English saphir, from Old French saphir, from Latin sapphir, sappir, sapphīrus, from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros, “precious stone, gem”), from a Semitic language such as Hebrew סַפִּיר (sappī́r, “lapis lazuli”), originally from Assyrian Akkadian šipirtu (“lapis lazuli”).

1. of a deep blue colour.

   “At about eleven, we uncaged our pigeons, who flew away into the sapphire sky that hung like a sail from the white peaks.”

   “They awoke to panoramic views of a national park's tropical forests, the Gulf of Paria's shallows and the Caribbean's sparkling sapphire waters.”

2. pertaining to a 45th year

name

1. A female given name from English from the precious stone.

   “I asked her once how a little girl who didn't have blue eyes ended up being called Sapphire. She pursed her lips for a few seconds, clearly wondering how she could get away with not telling me. 'My older brother is called Mistral,' she said in the end. 'My younger sister is Blaze. I'd say I was the lucky one.' As I say, hippy parents.”

2. A locality in the Inverell council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.

noun

1. A stereotype of an aggressive and domineering black woman.

   “When black women speak up about indignities, they are Sapphires. When black women stand up for their rights, they are Sapphires.”

   “Described as feisty wenches, seductive Jezebels, or loud and angry Sapphires, Black women's public persona has long been dominated by these images.”