obsidian

[ uhb-sid-ee-uhn ]
See synonyms for: obsidianobsidians on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a volcanic glass similar in composition to granite, usually dark but transparent in thin pieces, and having a good conchoidal fracture.

Origin of obsidian

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; from 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, from Latin

Words Nearby obsidian

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British Dictionary definitions for obsidian

obsidian

/ (ɒbˈsɪdɪən) /


noun
  1. a dark volcanic glass formed by very rapid solidification of lava: Also called: Iceland agate

Origin of obsidian

1
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 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for obsidian

obsidian

[ ŏb-sĭdē-ən ]


  1. 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.

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