The Collaborative International Dictionary
Turquoise \Tur*quoise"\, Turquois \Tur*quois"\ (?; 277), n. [F. turquoise; cf. Pr. & Sp. turquesa, It. turchese, turchina, LL. turchesius, turchina; -- so called because first brought from Turkey. See 1st Turkey.] (Min.) A hydrous phosphate of alumina containing a little copper; calaite. It has a blue, or bluish green, color, and usually occurs in reniform masses with a botryoidal surface.
Note: Turquoise is susceptible of a high polish, and when of a bright blue color is much esteemed as a gem. The finest specimens come from Persia. It is also found in New Mexico and Arizona, and is regarded as identical with the chalchihuitl of the Mexicans.
Wiktionary
n. (archaic form of turquoise English)
Usage examples of "turquois".
Along the bank of the river, knee to knee, the braves sat their ponies, resplendent with beads and feathers, turquois, silver and painted buckskin.
The man wore a red woolen scarf around the loins, caught on by a silver belt, and his neck was profusely ornamented with coral, turquois, and white beads.
There was a second basket south of it which contained water and a quantity of pine needles sufficiently thick to form a dry surface, and on the top a number of valuable necklaces of coral, turquois, and silver.