obsidian

noun

ob·​sid·​i·​an əb-ˈsi-dē-ən 

: a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of molten lava

Examples of obsidian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The most valuable obsidian The Aztecs didn’t discover obsidian. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 May 2025

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

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

Rhymes for obsidian

• ascidian
• dravidian
• quotidian
• enchiridion
• gideon
• lydian

Kids Definition

obsidian

noun

ob·​sid·​i·​an əb-ˈsid-ē-ən 

: a dark natural glass formed by the cooling of lava