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Kohinoor

or Koh-i-noor

[koh-uh-noo r]
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noun
  1. an Indian diamond weighing 106 carats; now part of the British crown jewels.
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Origin of Kohinoor

From the Persian word kōhinūr literally, mountain of light
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for koh-i-noor

Historical Examples

  • I have my Koh-i-noor—my desire to depart and surrender my life to God.

    The Christian

    Hall Caine

  • I cannot philosophically account for the Koh-i-noor's wrath.

    The Professor at the Breakfast Table

    Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.)

  • At the head of the table, just now, the Koh-i-noor, or the gentleman with the diamond.

    The Professor at the Breakfast Table

    Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.)

  • It was from this grand architectural structure that the Koh-i-noor was taken.

    Due West

    Maturin Murray Ballou

  • The Koh-i-noor, by the way, which was found in India only weighs 186 karats.

    An African Adventure

    Isaac F. Marcosson

British Dictionary definitions for koh-i-noor

Koh-i-noor

Kohinor or Kohinur

noun
  1. a very large oval Indian diamond, part of the British crown jewels since 1849, weighing 108.8 carats
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Word Origin

C19: from Persian Kōh-i-nūr, literally: mountain of light, from kōh mountain + Arabic nūr light
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 koh-i-noor

Koh-i-noor

n.

famous diamond, one of the British crown jewels after the annexation of Punjab in 1849, from Persian koh-i-nur, literally "mountain of light," from Persian koh "mountain" + Arabic nur "light."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper