obsidian

[uhb-sid-ee-uhn]

noun

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

obsidian

/ ɒbˈsɪdɪən /

noun

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

obsidian

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of obsidian¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of obsidian¹

C17: from Latin obsidiānus, erroneous transcription of obsiānus ( lapis ) (stone of) Obsius, the name (in Pliny) of the discoverer of a stone resembling obsidian

Example Sentences

The shards, or clasts, have a glassy luster, making them look a lot like obsidian, a glass formed from lava when it cools very quickly.

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One gem is thought to be a rare, 2nd Century head of the Greek hero Hercules made from obsidian, a type of volcanic glass.

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And it comes in four newly named colors: obsidian, porcelain, bay and aloe.

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The Cahuilla also charted trade corridors reaching from the Colorado River to the shores of the Pacific, where coastal tribes traded shell jewelry for obsidian tools and animal skins from the interior.

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As she sorted through thousands of shattered greenstones, seashells, and obsidian pieces, she noticed something peculiar.

Read more on Science Magazine

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