Diamond Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms diamond 1 American [dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh-] / ˈdaɪ mənd, ˈdaɪ ə- /

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. (used with a singular or plural verb) diamonds, 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.

idioms

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

Diamond 2 American [dahy-muhnd, dahy-uh-] / ˈdaɪ mənd, ˈdaɪ ə- /

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 British / 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 )

      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. a figurative name for coal

7. 1. an unpolished diamond

   2. a person of fine character who lacks refinement and polish

"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

verb

1. (tr) to decorate with or as with diamonds

"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 diamond Scientific / 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.

Usage

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!

Other Word Forms

• diamond-like adjective
• diamondlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of diamond

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In her memoirs, Leah wrote of receiving gold medals, watches, and diamonds from Ohio’s spiritualists.

From Literature

Below the jungle lie diamonds, gold and coltan, a compound containing elements needed for cellphones, electric vehicles and more.

From The Wall Street Journal

His very first day was an incredible success -- he says he found thousands of dollars' worth of diamonds and "completely forgot about the city".

From Barron's

And he’s Southern California born and bred, the product of esteemed diamond factory Harvard-Westlake High.

From Los Angeles Times

They include a diamond and emerald necklace Emperor Napoleon gave to his wife were stolen.

From BBC

Related Words

• gem
• jewel
• rhinestone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.