bezel

[ bez-uh l ]

/ ˈbɛz əl /

noun

the diagonal face at the end of the blade of a chisel, or the like, leading to the edge.

Jewelry.

that part of a ring, bracelet, etc., to which gems are attached.
crown(def 27).

a grooved ring or rim holding a gem, watch crystal, etc., in its setting.

Automotive. the part of a vehicle's bodywork that surrounds a light.

Nearby words

beyrouth, bez antler, beza, bezaleel, bezant, bezel, bezique, bezoar, bezold's abscess, bezonian, bezwada

Origin of bezel

1605–15; akin to French biseau bevel, chamfer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bezel

Moreover, on the third finger of this hand was a representation of a ring whereof, unfortunately, the bezel had been destroyed.
When the World Shook|H. Rider Haggard
A massive bronze ring has the bezel engraved with the figure of an orante; on the hoop is also a sigillum engraved with a cross.
Finger-Ring Lore|William Jones
The bezel was turned inward, and, in the centre of that bezel, the blue diamond shone with all its glorious splendor.
Arsne Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes|Maurice LeBlanc
After soldering, fit the bezel again to the stone, for the soldering is apt to change the shape.
The Library of Work and Play: Working in Metals|Charles Conrad Sleffel

Bind the bezel on this piece, wash with borax, and solder it in place.
The Library of Work and Play: Working in Metals|Charles Conrad Sleffel

British Dictionary definitions for bezel

bezel

/ (ˈbɛzəl) /

noun

the sloping face adjacent to the working edge of a cutting tool

the upper oblique faces of a cut gem

a grooved ring or part holding a gem, watch crystal, etc

a retaining outer rim used in vehicle instruments, e.g. in tachometers and speedometers

a small indicator light used in vehicle instrument panels

Word Origin for bezel

C17: probably from French biseau, perhaps from Latin bis twice

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

Word Origin and History for bezel

bezel

1610s, "sloping edge," also "groove in which a stone is set," from Old French *besel (13c.; Modern French biseau), cognate with Spanish bisel; of uncertain origin, perhaps literally "a stone with two angles," from Vulgar Latin *bis-alus, from bis- "twice" (see bis-) + ala "wing, side" (see alar). Meaning "oblique face of a gem" is from c.1840. The verb meaning "grind (a tool) down to an edge" is from 1670s.