porphyry
noun/ˈpɔɹ.fɪ.ɹi/ · /ˈpɔɹ.fə.ɹi/
Etymology From Old French porfire, from Ancient Greek πορφυρίτης λίθος (porphurítēs líthos, “purple stone”), from πορφύρα (porphúra, “purple-fish, purple dye”).
- A quartet of porphyry warriors, locked for all time in stern embrace outside St. Mark's Basilica, were probably carved in the Fourth Century. They are believed to represent the Roman Emperor Diocletian and the three men who held power with him.1980, Colin Thubron, Seafarers: The Venetians, page 43:
- Derived terms
- porphyraceous, porphyric, porphyrogenite → porphyrogenitism, porphyrogeniture, porphyroid, porphyrous, porphyry shell