obsidian
noun
ob·sid·i·an
| \ Éb-Ësi-dÄ-Én
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Definition of obsidian
: a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava
Examples of obsidian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The prized obsidian came from the Hasan DagÌi volcano, some 80 miles away or the Cappadocia region farther to the east. — National Geographic, "This Stone Age settlement took humanity's first steps toward city life," 26 Mar. 2019 The International Human Rights lawyerâs mane is a rich shade of volcanic obsidian, or a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "2019 Is the Year of âThe Amalâ Blowout," 30 Apr. 2019 Vast trade networks linked the foragers with regions perhaps as far away as Greece, as indicated by exotic items found at Iron Gates: seashell beads from the Black Sea and tools made of volcanic obsidian mined from an island in the Aegean Sea. — Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, "When Farmers and Foragers First Met," 24 Oct. 2018 The history of local miningâfor obsidian, iron, copper, silver, coalâalso goes back thousands of years. — Kyre Chenven, CondĂ© Nast Traveler, "For Sardiniaâs Wild Side, Head to Sulcis," 12 Oct. 2018 But none seems better equipped to manage summer's onslaught than Carricante, grown mostly on the eastern slopes of Mt. Etna, facing the sea, where the soils are studded with obsidian. — Patrick Comiskey, latimes.com, "Cool white wines from hot climates," 15 May 2018 But Brooks says the presence of obsidian also means that the inhabitants of BOK-2 were probably trading with people closer to the obsidian deposits, not just walking for days to pick up some rocks and then walk home again. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Unstable climate forced early humans to be more social and creative," 18 Mar. 2018 The toolmakers were highly selective about their raw materials, importing obsidian from up to 90 kilometers away. — Ann Gibbons, Science | AAAS, "Signs of symbolic behavior emerged at the dawn of our species in Africa," 15 Mar. 2018 Afterwards, the early humans living in the area traded for sharp, strong obsidian and made delicate tools and spear heads. — NBC News, "Did climate change help modern humans emerge?," 15 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obsidian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for obsidian
obsidian
noun
English Language Learners Definition of obsidian
: a dark natural glass that forms when lava cools
See the full definition for obsidian in the English Language Learners Dictionary
obsidian
noun
ob·sid·i·an
| \ Éb-Ësi-dÄ-Én
\
\
Kids Definition of obsidian
: a smooth dark rock formed by the cooling of lava