obsidian
Use Obsidian in a sentence
i noun
a volcanic glass similar in composition to granite, usually dark but transparent in thin pieces, and having a good conchoidal fracture.
Origin:
1350–1400; < Latin Obsidiānus, printer's error for Obsiānus pertaining to Obsius, the discoverer (according to Pliny) of a similar mineral in Ethiopia; replacing Middle English obsianus < Latin; see -an
1350–1400; < Latin Obsidiānus, printer's error for Obsiānus pertaining to Obsius, the discoverer (according to Pliny) of a similar mineral in Ethiopia; replacing Middle English obsianus < Latin; see -an
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To obsidian
Collins
World English Dictionary
obsidian (ɒbˈsɪdɪən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| Also called: Iceland agate a dark volcanic glass formed by very rapid solidification of lava | |
| [C17: from Latin obsidiānus, erroneous transcription of obsiānus (lapis) (stone of) Obsius, the name (in Pliny) of the discoverer of a stone resembling obsidian] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Obsidian
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
obsidian
1656, from L. obsidianus, misprint of obsianus (lapis) "(stone) of Obsius," a Roman alleged by Pliny to have found this rock in Ethiopia.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| obsidian (ŏb-sĭd'ē-ən) Pronunciation Key
A shiny, usually black, volcanic glass. Obsidian forms above ground from lava that is similar in composition to the magma from which granite forms underground, but cools so quickly that minerals do not have a chance to form within it. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Freshly knapped obsidian begins to absorb water on its newly exposed surfaces.
Obsidian, for example, has different translucency depending on where its original volcanic source is located.
When obsidian breaks it fractures with a distinct conchoidal fracture.
Obsidian affords an added bonus for archeologists in that each volcanic flow has unique chemical elements.
Nearby Words
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