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bort

or boart, bortz

[bawrt]
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noun
  1. low-quality diamond, in granular aggregate or small fragments, valuable only in crushed or powdered form, especially for industrial use as an abrasive.
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Compare ballas, carbonado2.

Origin of bort

1615–25; apparently metathetic variant of *brot (Old English gebrot fragment); akin to Middle English brotel brittle, Old Norse brot fragment
Related formsbort·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bort

Historical Examples

  • Mrs. Bort received Neaera in a way most unbecoming to a pensioner.

    Mr. Witt's Widow

    Anthony Hope

  • Let me congratulate you, Mrs. Bort, on having done your duty.

    Mr. Witt's Widow

    Anthony Hope

  • Captns boy loves pigtail, so tie it up when bort an put in his pocket.

  • And bort this banjer, put on your best noo trousers and come right on 'ere?

    Kipps

    H. G. Wells

  • The governing fact in the situation, the fact that Neaera did not see her way to meet, was that Mrs. Bort was an honest woman.

    Mr. Witt's Widow

    Anthony Hope

British Dictionary definitions for bort

bort

boart bortz (bɔːts)

noun
  1. an inferior grade of diamond used for cutting and drilling or, in powdered form, as an industrial abrasive
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Derived Formsborty, adjective

Word Origin

Old English gebrot fragment; related to Old Norse brot piece, Old High German broz bud
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 bort

n.

"waste diamonds, small chips from diamond-cutting," of unknown origin, perhaps related to Old French bort "bastard."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper