sol ‧ i ‧ taire /ˌsɒləˈteə, ˌsɒlɪˈteə $ ˌsɑːləˈter/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: French ; Origin: Latin solitarius ; ⇨ ↑ solitary 1 ]
1 . [uncountable] a game played by one person with small wooden or plastic pieces on a board
2 . [countable] a single jewel, or a piece of jewellery with a single jewel in it, especially a large diamond:
a diamond solitaire
3 . [uncountable] American English a game of cards for one person SYN patience British English
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THESAURUS
▪ jewel a valuable stone, such as a diamond:
He had a large fortune in gold and jewels.
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the crown jewels (=the crown and other valuable objects worn by the king or queen on important royal occasions)
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a jewel thief
▪ precious stone a rare and valuable jewel such as a diamond or an ↑ emerald :
The handle of the sword was decorated with precious stones.
▪ gem ( also gemstone ) a jewel that has been cut into a special shape:
The cross had large red gems set into it.
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Her eyes were shining like gemstones.
▪ semi-precious stone a valuable stone, but one that is not as rare or valuable as a diamond, ruby, emerald etc:
Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone that was often used by the ancient Egyptians.
▪ solitaire technical a single jewel, especially a large diamond:
a gold ring with a diamond solitaire