Meaning & use
diamond
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A very hard, transparent precious stone made of pure carbon, used in jewelry.
Grammar: Countable when referring to individual stones ('a diamond'), uncountable when referring to the material ('made of diamond').
Patterns
- a diamond ring
- made of diamond
- a diamond mine
She wore a diamond ring on her finger.
The necklace was set with diamonds.
Diamond is the hardest natural substance known.
nouncountable
One of the four suits in a deck of playing cards, marked with a red rhombus shape.
Grammar: Usually plural when referring to the suit as a whole: 'the seven of diamonds'.
Patterns
- the queen of diamonds
- a diamond card
He played the ace of diamonds.
I have no diamonds in my hand.
nouncountableAmerican
The square area of a baseball field, including the four bases and the infield.
Grammar: Often used with 'on': 'on the diamond'.
Patterns
- on the diamond
- the baseball diamond
The players ran onto the diamond.
He hit the ball across the diamond.
nouncountable
A shape with four straight sides of equal length, like a square tilted on its corner; a rhombus.
Grammar: Common in patterns and designs.
Patterns
- a diamond shape
- a diamond pattern
The kite was a diamond shape.
The fabric had a diamond pattern.
Word forms
| plural | diamonds |
|---|
Common combinations
- diamond ring
- He gave her a diamond ring for their anniversary.
- diamond mine
- The country's economy depends on its diamond mines.
- diamond necklace
- She wore a diamond necklace to the party.
- diamond cutter
- A diamond cutter uses a special tool to shape the stone.
- diamond in the rough
- He's a diamond in the rough; with training he'll be excellent.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- diamondback noun
- A type of rattlesnake with diamond-shaped markings.
Commonly confused: diamond or rhombus?
diamond vs rhombus
A rhombus is a geometric shape with four equal sides; a diamond is often used informally for a tilted square, but in geometry 'rhombus' is the precise term.
Practice
She inherited a beautiful diamond ______ from her grandmother.
Choose one answer.
A 'diamond ring' is a common piece of jewelry. 'Mine' is a place where diamonds are dug, 'cutter' is a person or tool, and 'in the rough' is an idiom meaning someone with potential, not a physical object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “diamond”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.