diamond

¹

[ dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh- ]

noun

1. a pure or nearly pure, extremely hard form of carbon, naturally crystallized in the isometric system.
2. a piece of this stone.
3. a transparent, flawless or almost flawless piece of this stone, especially when cut and polished, valued as a precious gem.
4. a ring or other piece of jewelry containing such a precious stone, especially an engagement ring.
5. a piece of this stone used in a drill or cutting tool.
6. a tool provided with such an uncut stone, used for cutting glass.
7. crystallized carbon, or a piece of it, artificially produced.
8. an equilateral quadrilateral, especially as placed with its diagonals vertical and horizontal; a lozenge or rhombus.
9. any rhombus-shaped figure or object oriented with its diagonals vertical and horizontal.
10. a red rhombus-shaped figure on a playing card.
11. a card of the suit bearing such figures.
12. diamonds, (used with a singular or plural verb) the suit so marked:

    Diamonds is trump. Diamonds are trump.

13. Baseball.
    1. the space enclosed by home plate and the three bases; infield.
    2. the entire playing field.
14. Printing. a 4½-point type of a size between brilliant and pearl.

adjective

1. made of or set with a diamond or diamonds.
2. having the shape of a diamond:

   a dress with a diamond print.

3. indicating the 75th, or sometimes the 60th, event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

verb (used with object)

1. to adorn with or as if with diamonds.

Diamond

²

[ dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh- ]

noun

1. Neil, born 1941, U.S. singer and songwriter.
2. Cape, a hill in Canada, in S Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River.

diamond

/ ˈdaɪəmənd /

noun

1. 1. a colourless exceptionally hard mineral (but often tinted yellow, orange, blue, brown, or black by impurities), found in certain igneous rocks (esp the kimberlites of South Africa). It is used as a gemstone, as an abrasive, and on the working edges of cutting tools. Composition: carbon. Formula: C. Crystal structure: cubic
   2. ( as modifier ) diamantine

      a diamond ring

2. geometry
   1. a figure having four sides of equal length forming two acute angles and two obtuse angles; rhombus
   2. modifier rhombic
3. 1. a red lozenge-shaped symbol on a playing card
   2. a card with one or more of these symbols or ( when plural ) the suit of cards so marked
4. baseball
   1. the whole playing field
   2. the square formed by the four bases
5. (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 4 1 2 point
6. black diamond
   a figurative name for coal
7. rough diamond
   1. an unpolished diamond
   2. a person of fine character who lacks refinement and polish

verb

1. tr to decorate with or as with diamonds

diamond

/ dī′ə-mənd /

1. A form of pure carbon that occurs naturally as a clear, cubic crystal and is the hardest of all known minerals. It often occurs as octahedrons with rounded edges and curved surfaces. Diamond forms under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure and is most commonly found in volcanic breccias and in alluvial deposits. Poorly formed diamonds are used in abrasives and in industrial cutting tools.

Derived Forms

• ˈdiamond-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• diamond·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diamond¹

1275–1325; Middle English diamant < Old French < Vulgar Latin *diamant-, stem of *diamas, perhaps alteration of *adimas (> French aimant magnet, Old Provençal aziman diamond, magnet), for Latin adamas adamant, diamond

Word History and Origins

Origin of diamond¹

C13: from Old French diamant, from Medieval Latin diamas, modification of Latin adamas the hardest iron or steel, diamond; see adamant

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. diamond in the rough, a person of fine character but lacking refined manners or graces.

Example Sentences

The Georgian piece contains about 500 diamonds and was bought for almost double the amount estimated by Sotheby's auction house.

From BBC

Since December last year, nearly 400 high-calibre firearms, thousands of bullets, uncut diamonds and money have been confiscated from illegal miners.

From BBC

As Jensen used a window screen to sift the safe’s ashen contents for diamonds and stones, his wife Dawn DaMart wandered the blackened foundation searching for tokens of the couple’s life before the Mountain fire.

From Los Angeles Times

There were jeers for Ohio's Paul, who wore a diamond spiked ear cover and referenced the infamous title fight where Tyson bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997.

From BBC

Their relationship can be summed up by a scene where Trump gifts Cohn some diamond cufflinks for his birthday.

From Salon

Related Words

• gem
• jewel
• rhinestone

More About Diamond

What does diamond mean?

A diamond is a clear gemstone known for its use in jewelry and its high price.

The word diamond can also refer to the material, which is one of the hardest known substances. It has many practical and industrial applications, including for grinding and polishing—many drill bits have diamond tips, for example.

Diamonds are perhaps the most popular gemstone used in jewelry. They are classified as precious gems, meaning that they have a high commercial value. They are often rated based on four main qualities: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Many cut diamonds are crystal clear, but sometimes they come in other transparent colors, including pink, yellow, and blue (like the famous Hope diamond). Some diamonds are synthetic—they’re manufactured in laboratories.

The diamond is the traditional birthstone for the month of April. It’s associated with the zodiac signs Aries and Taurus.

The word diamond is also used to refer to a shape (♦), like the one that’s used as one of the four “suits” on playing cards. Sometimes, it refers to a shape that looks like a cut diamond gem. This is how the word is used in baseball diamond.

Diamond can be used as an adjective to describe things that include diamonds (as in a diamond necklace), are made of diamond (as in a diamond drill bit tip), or are diamond-shaped or diamond-patterned, among other things.

The word diamond is sometimes used to describe a 75-year anniversary, as in It’s my grandparents’ diamond anniversary this year—I can’t believe they’ve been married for 75 years!

Example: Look at her ring—that must be the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen!

Where does diamond come from?

Etymologically speaking, the word diamond comes from the Latin adamas, meaning “hard metal” or “diamond.” It ultimately comes from Greek work that perhaps meant “unconquerable”—a reference to its famed hardness—from the prefix a-, meaning “not,” and damân, meaning “to tame” or “conquer.” The first records of the word diamond come from the late 1200s.

Naturally speaking, diamond is the purest form of carbon. Diamonds are formed under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. They are most commonly found in volcanic rock. Only a small percentage of diamonds are suitable for cutting into gemstones. Poorly formed ones are used in abrasives and in industrial cutting tools.

The modern popularity of diamonds is often traced in part to a 1950s marketing campaign to associate them with engagement rings. Despite diamonds’ popularity, price, and reputation for rareness, many other precious gems are just as rare or even rarer.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to diamond?

• diamondlike (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with diamond? 

• Hope diamond
• diamond in the rough
• adamant

What are some words that often get used in discussing diamond?

• ring
• necklace
• earring
• jewelry
• carat
• precious
• gem
• gemstone
• mineral
• stone
• baseball

How is diamond used in real life?

Due to their popularity in expensive jewelry, diamonds are associated with wealth and luxury. However, because diamond mining has a history that’s associated with exploitation of workers in war-torn areas, some people avoid diamonds or only purchase ones that are classified as “conflict-free.”

Meghan Markle's engagement ring has a diamond from the second biggest supplier of conflict-free diamonds — here are the best countries to buy diamonds from https://t.co/4PglNK86ev pic.twitter.com/Jt5RNyTAY0

— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) May 3, 2018

India is set to become a major hub for the production as well as the processing of lab-grown diamonds and already accounts for about a quarter of global lab-grown diamond output. https://t.co/liWQnKlahK

— The Business of Fashion (@BoF) March 21, 2021

The world's most expensive diamond sold for $48.4 million USD.https://t.co/9Tm4uCs5ip pic.twitter.com/ySXCSodFSm

— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) November 14, 2015

 

 

Try using diamond!

True or False?

Diamonds are the rarest of all precious stones.