bort

or boart, bortz

[bawrt]

See more synonyms for bort on Thesaurus.com

noun

low-quality diamond, in granular aggregate or small fragments, valuable only in crushed or powdered form, especially for industrial use as an abrasive.

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

Related Words for bort

jewel, gem, rhinestone, paragon, ice, lozenge, rock, zircon, corundum, rhombus, allotrope, solitaire, brilliant, bort, jager

Examples from the Web for bort

Historical Examples of bort

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.
The Funny Side of Physic
A. D. Crabtre
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

an inferior grade of diamond used for cutting and drilling or, in powdered form, as an industrial abrasive

Derived Formsborty, adjective

Word Origin for bort

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

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