Definition of "topaz" [to•paz]

• A colorless, blue, yellow, brown, or pink aluminum silicate mineral, often found in association with granitic rocks and valued as a gemstone, especially in the brown and pink varieties. (noun)
• Any of various yellow gemstones, especially a yellow variety of sapphire or corundum. (noun)
• A light yellow variety of quartz. (noun)
• Either of two South American hummingbirds (Topaza pyra or T. pella) having colorful plumage. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Generally, the yellow variety of quartz is given the name topaz, although the true topaz is much rarer."
• "The name topaz is derived from the Greek _topazos_, which is the name of"
• "The very word topaz is a derivative of an ancient Sanskrit word, topas, meaning “heat.”"