a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
"She slipped her new engagement ring, featuring a brilliant-cut diamond, onto her finger to admire the sparkle."
a playing card in the minor suit that has one or more red rhombuses on it
"he led a small diamond"
"diamonds were trumps"
the area of a baseball field that is enclosed by 3 bases and home plate
"The batter stepped into the diamond to face the pitcher after warming up in the on-deck circle."
the baseball playing field
"The batter circled the diamond after hitting a home run to celebrate his achievement."
A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron.
"The jeweler confirmed that the engagement ring featured a diamond cut to the precise size known as a brilliant-to-pearl standard at four-and-a-half carats."
The size of type between brilliant and pearl, standardized as 4+¹⁄₂-point.
In plain English: A diamond is a very hard, clear gemstone made of pure carbon that sparkles brightly when cut and polished.
"She wore a diamond necklace to the gala."
Usage: As a noun, diamond refers to a transparent crystal made of carbon known for its exceptional hardness and brilliance, often used in jewelry or as an industrial abrasive. Do not confuse this natural gemstone with the typographic size term mentioned in older printing contexts.
to adorn with or as if with diamonds
"The bride's tiara was so heavily set that it looked like she had been completely diamonded for her wedding day."
In plain English: To diamond means to cut something into a diamond shape.
"The diamond cutter carefully shaped the rough stone into a perfect gem."
Usage: Use "diamond" as a verb only when describing the specific act of decorating something with actual diamond jewels. In everyday conversation, avoid using it metaphorically for other types of embellishment or to describe hardening surfaces.
made of, or containing diamond, a diamond or diamonds.
"The vintage ring featured a brilliant center stone surrounded by smaller diamonds that caught the light perfectly."
In plain English: Diamond means something that is extremely valuable, rare, or perfect.
"The diamond engagement ring sparkled under the lights."
Usage: Use "diamond" only when describing jewelry, tools, or surfaces that are physically constructed from or embedded with actual gemstones. Do not use it metaphorically for something rare or valuable; instead, use words like "precious" or "exquisite" in those cases.
A female given name from English of modern usage, from the name of the gem.
"Diamond decided to go by her middle name because she loved how strong and clear it sounded."
The word diamond entered English from Old French and Latin, ultimately tracing back to the Ancient Greek adámās, which originally meant "unconquerable" or "invincible." This sense shifted over time to refer specifically to the hard gemstone known today.