Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for diamond

diamond

1

[ dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh- ]

noun

  1. a pure or nearly pure, extremely hard form of carbon, naturally crystallized in the isometric system.
  2. a piece of this stone.
  3. a transparent, flawless or almost flawless piece of this stone, especially when cut and polished, valued as a precious gem.
  4. a ring or other piece of jewelry containing such a precious stone, especially an engagement ring.
  5. a piece of this stone used in a drill or cutting tool.
  6. a tool provided with such an uncut stone, used for cutting glass.
  7. crystallized carbon, or a piece of it, artificially produced.
  8. an equilateral quadrilateral, especially as placed with its diagonals vertical and horizontal; a lozenge or rhombus.
  9. any rhombus-shaped figure or object oriented with its diagonals vertical and horizontal.
  10. a red rhombus-shaped figure on a playing card.
  11. a card of the suit bearing such figures.
  12. diamonds, (used with a singular or plural verb) the suit so marked:

    Diamonds is trump. Diamonds are trump.

  13. Baseball.
    1. the space enclosed by home plate and the three bases; infield.
    2. the entire playing field.
  14. Printing. a 4½-point type of a size between brilliant and pearl.

adjective

  1. made of or set with a diamond or diamonds.
  2. having the shape of a diamond:

    a dress with a diamond print.

  3. indicating the 75th, or sometimes the 60th, event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

verb (used with object)

  1. to adorn with or as if with diamonds.

Diamond

2

[ dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh- ]

noun

  1. Neil, born 1941, U.S. singer and songwriter.
  2. Cape, a hill in Canada, in S Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River.

diamond

/ ˈdaɪəmənd /

noun

    1. a colourless exceptionally hard mineral (but often tinted yellow, orange, blue, brown, or black by impurities), found in certain igneous rocks (esp the kimberlites of South Africa). It is used as a gemstone, as an abrasive, and on the working edges of cutting tools. Composition: carbon. Formula: C. Crystal structure: cubic
    2. ( as modifier ) diamantine

      a diamond ring

  2. geometry
    1. a figure having four sides of equal length forming two acute angles and two obtuse angles; rhombus
    2. modifier rhombic
    1. a red lozenge-shaped symbol on a playing card
    2. a card with one or more of these symbols or ( when plural ) the suit of cards so marked
  4. baseball
    1. the whole playing field
    2. the square formed by the four bases
  5. (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 4 1 2 point
  6. See coal
    black diamond
    black diamond a figurative name for coal
  7. rough diamond
    rough diamond
    1. an unpolished diamond
    2. a person of fine character who lacks refinement and polish

verb

  1. tr to decorate with or as with diamonds

diamond

/ dī′ə-mənd /

  1. A form of pure carbon that occurs naturally as a clear, cubic crystal and is the hardest of all known minerals. It often occurs as octahedrons with rounded edges and curved surfaces. Diamond forms under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure and is most commonly found in volcanic breccias and in alluvial deposits. Poorly formed diamonds are used in abrasives and in industrial cutting tools.

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈdiamond-ˌlike, adjective

Discover More

Other Words From

  • diamond·like adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of diamond1

1275–1325; Middle English diamant < Old French < Vulgar Latin *diamant-, stem of *diamas, perhaps alteration of *adimas (> French aimant magnet, Old Provençal aziman diamond, magnet), for Latin adamas adamant, diamond

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of diamond1

C13: from Old French diamant, from Medieval Latin diamas, modification of Latin adamas the hardest iron or steel, diamond; see adamant

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. diamond in the rough, a person of fine character but lacking refined manners or graces.

Discover More

Example Sentences

The shiny, diamond-shaped pastries, each four-inch slice set off with an almond, were reason enough to head to its source.

Zagreus is out collecting the necessary gemstones and diamonds for furnishings in the underworld, but the House Contractor assures us that all work will be safe and neither seen nor heard.

Electric ones often have diamond-tipped metal pieces, which won’t wear out.

In March, retired Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch, for example, is launching Dodi Blunts — a “premium, crafted cannabis brand-platform” with 24-karat diamond-infused blunts.

From Ozy

Your grandma’s diamond ring hasn’t morphed into super-stable graphite.

Diamond Street, for instance, was one of the original players in the zoot suit riots in 1942.

Elderly women played Triple Double Diamond and Tiki Magic while they chain-smoked.

Casa Bruja is a diamond in the rough, a refuge among all this bedlam.

But they are striving “to shine bright like a diamond” and be happy, and we love them for it.

He took his diamond cutting practice to the United States in 1949 and settled in Houston with his wife, Ann.

He just got a good holt–a shore enough diamond hitch–on that thirst-parlour dawg, and chawed.

At last she had fallen asleep and dreamed ecstatic dreams about diamond necklaces and thousand franc notes.

He was decently dressed in grey tweeds, and wore a diamond ring on his little finger.

Later on he went to South Africa, where in the diamond mines he met with great success and made a large fortune.

Joseph Mylchreest was a Manxman, a rough diamond but a man of sterling worth.

Advertisement

Related Words

Discover More

More About Diamond

What does diamond mean?

A diamond is a clear gemstone known for its use in jewelry and its high price.

The word diamond can also refer to the material, which is one of the hardest known substances. It has many practical and industrial applications, including for grinding and polishing—many drill bits have diamond tips, for example.

Diamonds are perhaps the most popular gemstone used in jewelry. They are classified as precious gems, meaning that they have a high commercial value. They are often rated based on four main qualities: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Many cut diamonds are crystal clear, but sometimes they come in other transparent colors, including pink, yellow, and blue (like the famous Hope diamond). Some diamonds are synthetic—they’re manufactured in laboratories.

The diamond is the traditional birthstone for the month of April. It’s associated with the zodiac signs Aries and Taurus.

The word diamond is also used to refer to a shape (♦), like the one that’s used as one of the four “suits” on playing cards. Sometimes, it refers to a shape that looks like a cut diamond gem. This is how the word is used in baseball diamond.

Diamond can be used as an adjective to describe things that include diamonds (as in a diamond necklace), are made of diamond (as in a diamond drill bit tip), or are diamond-shaped or diamond-patterned, among other things.

The word diamond is sometimes used to describe a 75-year anniversary, as in It’s my grandparents’ diamond anniversary this year—I can’t believe they’ve been married for 75 years!

Example: Look at her ring—that must be the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen!

Where does diamond come from?

Etymologically speaking, the word diamond comes from the Latin adamas, meaning “hard metal” or “diamond.” It ultimately comes from Greek work that perhaps meant “unconquerable”—a reference to its famed hardness—from the prefix a-, meaning “not,” and damân, meaning “to tame” or “conquer.” The first records of the word diamond come from the late 1200s.

Naturally speaking, diamond is the purest form of carbon. Diamonds are formed under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. They are most commonly found in volcanic rock. Only a small percentage of diamonds are suitable for cutting into gemstones. Poorly formed ones are used in abrasives and in industrial cutting tools.

The modern popularity of diamonds is often traced in part to a 1950s marketing campaign to associate them with engagement rings. Despite diamonds’ popularity, price, and reputation for rareness, many other precious gems are just as rare or even rarer.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to diamond?

  • diamondlike (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with diamond? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing diamond?

How is diamond used in real life?

Due to their popularity in expensive jewelry, diamonds are associated with wealth and luxury. However, because diamond mining has a history that’s associated with exploitation of workers in war-torn areas, some people avoid diamonds or only purchase ones that are classified as “conflict-free.”

 

 

Try using diamond!

True or False?

Diamonds are the rarest of all precious stones.

Word of the Day

axolotl

[ak-suh-lot-l ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

diammonium phosphatediamond anniversary

Browse

  • #
  • aa
  • bb
  • cc
  • dd
  • ee
  • ff
  • gg
  • hh
  • ii
  • jj
  • kk
  • ll
  • mm
  • nn
  • oo
  • pp
  • qq
  • rr
  • ss
  • tt
  • uu
  • vv
  • ww
  • xx
  • yy
  • zz