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
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Diez points to the discovery of green obsidian beads as an indication that Teteles, which is along a trade route, was connected to the much larger Mesoamerican city Teotihuacan, since that city controlled a quarry where the obsidian originated. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Each is almost seven by five feet, and most establish a broad field of color—blue, crimson, orange—across which migrate sharp and irregular shapes, some like long teeth or spears, others like shards of obsidian. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 HigherDOSE’s five-layer construction includes a charcoal layer to mitigate EMF and ELF, a clay layer that emits negative ions, a medical-grade magnetic strip and a healing crystal layer of amethyst and obsidian. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026 Focusing on the Ararat-1 Cave site in the Armenian Highlands, Arik explained how nearly 1,800 stone artifacts (including local chert and obsidian transported over considerable distances) reveal a surprisingly sophisticated technological system. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026 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

Rhymes for obsidian

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Browse Nearby Words

obsessus
obsidian
obsidianite
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Cite this Entry

“Obsidian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsidian. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obsidian

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