obsidian

noun

ob·​sid·​i·​an əb-ˈsi-dē-ən How to pronounce obsidian (audio)
: a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava

Examples of obsidian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Amazon matches this price for the hazel finish, doesn’t have rose quartz, but has knocked the price of porcelain and obsidian down by an extra $50, that’s $200 off altogether, to $899. David Phelan, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 The screen diffuses but also expands some reflections across a broader area, raising its backdrop from glossy obsidian to lighter charcoal. Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 24 May 2024 Scorpios, naturally drawn to emotional depths, can benefit from using black obsidian, specifically to confront and release unresolved emotions or traumas. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024 The obsidian specifically came from the Pachuca Range, which is about 1,050 miles south of McLean and about 60 miles northeast of Mexico City. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for obsidian 

Word History

Etymology

earlier as adjective, "made of obsidian, resembling obsidian," borrowed from Latin obsidiānus, manuscript variant of obsiānus, from Obsius, traveler named by Pliny who found the stone in Ethiopia + -ānus -an entry 2

Note: The sole authority for the existence of the eponymous Obsius is Book 36 of the elder Pliny's Naturalis historia. Note that the Aethiopia of Pliny corresponded very roughly to the present-day states of Sudan and Ethiopia.

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obsidian was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near obsidian

Cite this Entry

“Obsidian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsidian. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

obsidian

noun
ob·​sid·​i·​an əb-ˈsid-ē-ən How to pronounce obsidian (audio)
: a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of lava

More from Merriam-Webster on obsidian

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