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brilliant
8 dictionary results for: brilliant
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
bril·liant 
[bril-yuhnt] Pronunciation Key
[bril-yuhnt] Pronunciation Key –adjective
–noun
| 1. | shining brightly; sparkling; glittering; lustrous: the brilliant lights of the city. |
| 2. | distinguished; illustrious: a brilliant performance by a young pianist. |
| 3. | having or showing great intelligence, talent, quality, etc.: a brilliant technician. |
| 4. | strong and clear in tone; vivid; bright: brilliant blues and greens; the brilliant sound of the trumpets. |
| 5. | splendid or magnificent: a brilliant social event. |
| 6. | Jewelry. a gem, esp. a diamond, having any of several varieties of the brilliant cut. |
| 7. | Printing. a size of type about 31/2 -point. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| bril·liant
(brĭl'yənt) Pronunciation Key
adj.
n. A precious gem, especially a diamond, finely cut in any of various forms with numerous facets. [French brillant, present participle of briller, to shine, from Italian brillare, perhaps from brillo, beryl, from Latin bēryllus; see beryl.] bril'liant·ly adv., bril'liant·ness n. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
brilliant
brilliant
1681, from Fr. "sparkling, shining" prp. of briller "to shine," from It. brillare "sparkle, whirl," probably from V.L. *berillare, from berillus "beryl, precious stone," from L. beryllus. In reference to diamonds (1690) it means a flat-topped cut invented 17c. by Venetian cutter Vincenzo Peruzzi. Brilliance (1755) seems to be an Eng. formation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| brilliant | |
adjective | |
| 1. | of surpassing excellence; "a brilliant performance"; "a superb actor" |
| 2. | having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence; "some men dislike brainy women"; "a brilliant mind"; "a brilliant solution to the problem" [syn: brainy] |
| 3. | characterized by grandeur; "the brilliant court life at Versailles"; "a glorious work of art"; "magnificent cathedrals"; "the splendid coronation ceremony" |
| 4. | having striking color; "bright dress"; "brilliant tapestries"; "a bird with vivid plumage" [syn: bright] |
| 5. | full of light; shining intensely; "a brilliant star"; "brilliant chandeliers" |
| 6. | clear and sharp and ringing; "the bright sound of the trumpet section"; "the brilliant sound of the trumpets" [syn: bright] |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This
Brilliant
One of five pedagogical languages based on Markov algorithms, used in ["Nonpareil, a Machine Level Machine Independent Language for the Study of Semantics", B. Higman, ULICS Intl Report No ICSI 170, U London (1968)].
See also Diamond, Nonpareil, Pearl, Ruby.
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This
Brilliant, AL (town, FIPS 9424) Location: 34.01672 N, 87.77581 W
Population (1990): 751 (366 housing units)
Area: 7.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 35548
Brilliant, OH (village, FIPS 8812) Location: 40.26850 N, 80.62490 W
Population (1990): 1672 (695 housing units)
Area: 2.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 43913
U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Brilliant
Bril"liant\ (br[i^]l"yant), a. [F. brillant, p. pr. of briller to shine or sparkle (cf. Pr. & Sp. brillar, It. brillare), fr. L. beryllus a precious stone of sea-green color, Prov. It. brill. See Beryl.]1. Sparkling with luster; glittering; very bright; as, a brilliant star. 2. Distinguished by qualities which excite admiration; splendid; shining; as, brilliant talents. Washington was more solicitous to avoid fatal mistakes than to perform brilliant exploits. --Fisher Ames. Syn: See Shining.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Brilliant
Bril"liant\, n. [F. brillant. See Brilliant, a.]1. A diamond or other gem of the finest cut, formed into faces and facets, so as to reflect and refract the light, by which it is rendered more brilliant. It has at the middle, or top, a principal face, called the table, which is surrounded by a number of sloping facets forming a bizet; below, it has a small face or collet, parallel to the table, connected with the girdle by a pavilion of elongated facets. It is thus distinguished from the rose diamond, which is entirely covered with facets on the surface, and is flat below. This snuffbox -- on the hinge see brilliants shine. --Pope. 2. (Print.) The smallest size of type used in England printing. Note: This line is printed in the type called Brilliant. 3. A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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