[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman peridout, from Medieval Latin peridotus, from alteration of Latin paederōs, paederōt-, a kind of gemstone, from Greek paiderōs paiderōt- (literally, "boy-love"), a kind of plant (perhaps a species of hawthorn) offered to Aphrodite, a kind of gemstone used as a love charm : Greek pais, paid-, child, boy; see pau-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Greek erōs, erōt-, erotic love.]