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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Early in the Aztecs’ history, obsidian for ritual and everyday objects came from limited sources. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 May 2025 Interestingly, while the horde revealed a clear preference for green obsidian from the Sierra de Pachuca mountain range, situated 94 kilometers northeast of Tenochtitlan, there were artifacts containing obsidian from seven other locations – possibly more. Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2025 Allan suggests the distribution of obsidian at these sites may be related to communal bison hunting practices, but additional research is needed. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2025 Lepper says those unusual raw materials include conch shells from the Gulf Coast, copper from southern Canada and obsidian from Obsidian Cliff in Yellowstone Park, illustrating the extent of the Hopewell culture’s influence. Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Obsidian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsidian. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

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

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