cinnabar

noun
cin·​na·​bar | \ ˈsi-nə-ˌbär How to pronounce cinnabar (audio) \

Definition of cinnabar

1 : artificial red mercuric sulfide used especially as a pigment
2 : a red mineral consisting of native mercuric sulfide HgS that is the only important ore of mercury
3 : a deep vivid red

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Other Words from cinnabar

cinnabarine \ ˈsi-​nə-​bə-​ˌrīn How to pronounce cinnabarine (audio) , -​ˌbär-​in \ adjective

Examples of cinnabar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the late 1800s, Oat Hill was one of the richest cinnabar (mercury) mines in the West, and the trail follows the old road that led toward the mine. Peter Fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "The 5 best hikes in Napa for wine lovers," 21 Feb. 2018 Since Roman times, when slaves worked the cinnabar mines, mercury has been known to cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, tremors, drooling, difficulty walking, and eventually, death. National Geographic, "The Toxic Toll of Indonesia's Gold Mines," 24 May 2016 Since Roman times, when slaves worked the cinnabar mines, mercury has been known to cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, tremors, drooling, difficulty walking, and eventually, death. National Geographic, "The Toxic Toll of Indonesia's Gold Mines," 24 May 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cinnabar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of cinnabar

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for cinnabar

Middle English cynabare, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French sinopre, from Latin cinnabaris, from Greek kinnabari, of non-Indo-European origin; akin to Arabic zinjafr cinnabar

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More Definitions for cinnabar

cinnabar

noun
cin·​na·​bar | \ ˈsin-ə-ˌbär How to pronounce cinnabar (audio) \

Medical Definition of cinnabar

1 : native red sulfide of mercury HgS that is the only important ore of mercury
2 : artificial red sulfide of mercury used especially as a pigment