A red or reddish-brown variety of quartz used as a gem (noun)
Looking for the answer to the USA Today Rootonym clue “A red or reddish-brown variety of quartz used as a gem (noun)”? The solution is CARNELIAN, a 9-letter word built on the root CARN (“flesh”). It appeared in the June 20, 2026 (Saturday) USA Today Rootonym. See the full puzzle for that day's other words.
Answer
CARNELIAN
CARN*****CARNmeans “flesh”
In a sentence
Carol chose a lovely CARNELIAN for the center stone of her ring set in white gold.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “A red or reddish-brown variety of quartz used as a gem (noun)” has the answer CARNELIAN (9 letters), built on the root CARN, which means “flesh”. Browse the full June 20, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or see all Rootonym answers.