bort
or boart, bortz
[ bawrt ]
/ bɔrt /
noun
low-quality diamond, in granular aggregate or small fragments, valuable only in crushed or powdered form, especially for industrial use as an abrasive.
Nearby words
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. 2019
Examples from the Web for bort
British Dictionary definitions for bort
bort
boart bortz (bɔːts)
/ (bɔːt) /
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
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Word Origin and History for bort
bort
"waste diamonds, small chips from diamond-cutting," of unknown origin, perhaps related to Old French bort "bastard."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper