BERYL

[ber.yl] n [ME, fr. MF beril, fr. L beryllus, fr. Gk beryllos, back-formation fr. beryllion beryl, of Indo-Aryan origin; akin to Prakrit verulia, veluriya beryl] (13c): a mineral consisting of a silicate of beryllium and aluminum of great hardness and occurring in green, bluish green, yellow, pink, or white hexagonal prisms