bort
or boart, bortz
[bawrt]
- 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
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, jagerExamples from the Web for bort
Historical Examples of bort
Mrs. Bort received Neaera in a way most unbecoming to a pensioner.
Mr. Witt's WidowAnthony Hope
Let me congratulate you, Mrs. Bort, on having done your duty.
Mr. Witt's WidowAnthony Hope
Captns boy loves pigtail, so tie it up when bort an put in his pocket.
The Funny Side of PhysicA. D. Crabtre
And bort this banjer, put on your best noo trousers and come right on 'ere?
KippsH. 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 WidowAnthony Hope
bort
boart bortz (bɔːts)
- an inferior grade of diamond used for cutting and drilling or, in powdered form, as an industrial abrasive
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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
"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