obsidian
/ bsiddi n/ noun a dark glass-like volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallization. ORIGIN Latin obsidianus, error for obsianus, from Obsius, the name (in Pliny) of the discoverer of a similar stone.
Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day
Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names
|