🇪🇸Spanish Source WordCode: ES

obsidiana

Pronunciation / Transliteration: obsidiana

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Obsidian/əbˈsɪd.i.ən/
nounadjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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🇪🇸 Example Sentence in Spanish:

"La cultura maya utilizaba la obsidiana para hacer armas."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As noun
  1. 1

    A dark, glasslike volcanic rock that forms when lava cools rapidly without crystal growth.

    "Ancient peoples used sharp flakes of obsidian to craft arrowheads and blades."

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Synonyms (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'obsidianus', a presumed erroneous variant of 'op[p]ianus', meaning 'stone of Obsidius', a Roman explorer who reportedly discovered the stone in Ethiopia. The term entered English in the 18th century to describe naturally occurring volcanic glass. In modern contexts, it frequently serves as a direct translational equivalent for the Chinese term 'hēi bīng' (黑冰), denoting volcanic glass or symbolically dark, polished ice.

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