obsidian

[ uhb-sid-ee-uhn ]

noun

1. a volcanic glass similar in composition to granite, usually dark but transparent in thin pieces, and having a good conchoidal fracture.

obsidian

/ ɒbˈsɪdɪən /

noun

1. a dark volcanic glass formed by very rapid solidification of lava Also calledIceland agate

obsidian

/ ŏb-sĭd′ē-ən /

1. A shiny, usually black, volcanic glass. Obsidian forms above ground from lava that is similar in composition to the magma from which granite forms underground, but cools so quickly that minerals do not have a chance to form within it.

Word History and Origins

Origin of obsidian¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin Obsidiānus, printer's error for Obsiānus “pertaining to Obsius,” the discoverer (according to Pliny) of a similar mineral in Ethiopia; replacing Middle English obsianus, from Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of obsidian¹

C17: from Latin obsidiānus, erroneous transcription of obsiānus ( lapis ) (stone of) Obsius, the name (in Pliny) of the discoverer of a stone resembling obsidian

Example Sentences

One gem is thought to be a rare, 2nd Century head of the Greek hero Hercules made from obsidian, a type of volcanic glass.

From BBC

And it comes in four newly named colors: obsidian, porcelain, bay and aloe.

From Seattle Times

The Cahuilla also charted trade corridors reaching from the Colorado River to the shores of the Pacific, where coastal tribes traded shell jewelry for obsidian tools and animal skins from the interior.

From Los Angeles Times

As she sorted through thousands of shattered greenstones, seashells, and obsidian pieces, she noticed something peculiar.

From Science Magazine

We plodded through an obsidian darkness, one deliberate step at a time, our headlamp beams illuminating the way.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• sunless
• unlighted
• unlit