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Added 8 October 2026

chatoyant

/ʃəˈtɔɪ.ənt/ adjective

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about chatoyant at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Having a certain optical reflectance effect, which can be likened to the sheen of a spool of silk.
chatoyant effect

noun

A hard stone, such as the cat's-eye, which presents on a polished surface, and in the interior, an undulating or wavy light.

Origin

From French chatoyant, present participle of chatoyer (“to iridesce, like a cat's eye”), from chat (“cat”, because of the reflective qualities of a cat's eye).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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