Damascene

American  

[dam-uh-seen, dam-uh-seen] / ˈdæm əˌsin, ˌdæm əˈsin /

adjective

1. of or relating to the city of Damascus.

2. (lowercase) of or relating to the art of damascening.

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noun

1. an inhabitant of Damascus.

2. (lowercase) work or patterns produced by damascening.

verb (used with object)

Damascened, Damascening

1. (lowercase) Also damaskeen to produce wavy lines on (Damascus steel).

Damascene ¹ British  

/ ˌdæməˈsiːn, ˈdæməˌsiːn /

adjective

1. of or relating to Damascus

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Damascus

2. a variety of domestic fancy pigeon with silvery plumage

damascene ² British  

/ ˌdæməˈsiːn, ˈdæməˌsiːn /

verb

1. (tr) to ornament (metal, esp steel) by etching or by inlaying, usually with gold or silver

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noun

1. a design or article produced by this process

adjective

1. of or relating to this process

Etymology

Origin of Damascene

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin Damascēnus of Damascus < Greek Damaskēnós, equivalent to Damask ( ós ) Damascus + -ēnos -ene

Example Sentences

It’s not quite a Damascene conversion, but he’s certainly much more open to the technology’s upside potential.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

And the agnostic, for whom “True Haunting” could prove a Damascene moment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

Many others were forced back to Yarmouk by sheer economics, including Wael Oweymar, a 50-year-old interior contractor who returned in 2021 because he could no longer afford rent in other Damascene suburbs.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2025

When it comes to images, there are few Damascene moments, which is why most photojournalists are modest, if not pessimistic, about the influence of their work.

From New York Times • May 31, 2022

Therefore Damascene says, as to the first, that the Holy Ghost "came upon the Virgin, purifying her"—that is, preserving her from conceiving with original sin.

From Summa Theologica, Part III (Tertia Pars) From the Complete American Edition by Thomas, Aquinas, Saint