# diamond

/ˈdaɪmənd/ (US) · /dˈaɪəmənd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/diamond
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. gemstone

noun · CEFR B1

a very hard, bright, and expensive stone used in rings and other jewellery.

For teachers: a precious gemstone consisting of a clear, colourless crystalline form of pure carbon, noted for its extreme hardness and high refractive index.

- He saved for months to buy a beautiful diamond engagement ring.
- The crown jewels feature a massive, uncut diamond that has been part of the royal collection for centuries.

### 2. geometric shape

noun · CEFR B1

a shape with four straight sides of the same length, usually standing on one of its points.

For teachers: a plane figure with four equal sides and two acute and two obtuse angles; a rhombus.

- The road sign was a yellow diamond with a black arrow in the middle.
- The pattern on the floor consisted of alternating black and white diamond tiles, creating a striking visual effect in the hallway.

### 3. playing cards

noun · CEFR B1

one of the four groups in a pack of cards, shown by a red diamond shape.

For teachers: one of the four suits of playing cards, represented by a red lozenge-shaped symbol.

- I have the ace of diamonds in my hand, so I might win this round.
- The player discarded a low diamond, hoping to draw out the opponent's higher cards from the same suit.

### 4. baseball field

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

the area of a baseball field where the game is played.

For teachers: the entire field of play in baseball, or specifically the square area formed by the four bases.

- The players ran onto the diamond as the crowd started to cheer.
- Heavy rain overnight left the diamond too muddy for the championship game to proceed as scheduled.

### 5. 60th anniversary

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe the 60th anniversary of an important event, like a wedding.

For teachers: relating to or denoting the sixtieth anniversary of a significant event, such as a wedding or a monarch's reign.

- The couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with their whole family.
- The city organised a grand parade to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee, celebrating sixty years of her service.

### 6. excellent

adjective · CEFR C1 · British English · Slang · Informal

very good or high quality.

For teachers: denoting high quality, excellence, or reliability.

- Thanks for helping me move house; you're a diamond.
- He's a diamond of a colleague, always willing to stay late when the rest of the team is struggling with a deadline.

### 7. printing size

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

a very small size of text used in old printing.

For teachers: a traditional size of type, approximately 4.5 points, positioned between brilliant and pearl.

- The old prayer book was printed in diamond type, making it very hard to read.
- The compositor noted that the footnotes were set in diamond, a size rarely used in modern publishing due to legibility concerns.

### 8. to decorate

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to decorate something with diamonds.

For teachers: to adorn or stud a surface with diamonds or diamond-like ornaments.

- The morning dew diamonded the spider's web in the garden.
- The artisan diamonded the hilt of the ceremonial sword, ensuring it caught the light during the procession.

## Examples

- She wears a beautiful diamond ring on her finger.
- The jeweler used a magnifying glass to check the diamond for any small cracks or imperfections.
- Industrial-grade diamonds are frequently embedded into drill bits and saw blades to facilitate the cutting of reinforced concrete and other exceptionally dense materials.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.