# balas

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbaləs/

## Definitions
1. A type of rose-coloured spinel once thought to be a form of ruby.

## Etymology
From Old English bales, balais, from Old French balais, from Arabic بَلَخْش (balaḵš), from Persian بلخش (balaxš), a form of بدخش (badaxš, “balas”), related to بدخشان (badaxšân, “Badakhshan”), the region where they are found.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/balas