noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/əˈvɛn.t͡ʃə.ɹɪn/
Received-Pronunciation:/əˈvɛn.tjʊə.ɹɪn/
Received-Pronunciation:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/əˈvɛn.t͡ʃə.ɹɪn/
General-American:/əˈvɛn.t͡ʃəˌɹin/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A kind of brownish glass containing gold-coloured spangles.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: goldstone
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A variety of translucent quartz, spangled throughout with scales of yellow mica.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a translucent quartz spangled with bits of mica or other minerals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sunstone
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: quartz, transparent gem
Narrower terms: goldstone
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French aventurine, from Italian avventurino, from avventurare (“to venture; to make lucky or prosperous”), from avventura (“chance; adventure, venture”) + -are (suffix forming the infinitive of most regular verbs), apparently so named because it was discovered by accident in Murano, Italy, when brass or copper filings were dropped into melted glass (see, however, the 1843 quotation).
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.