Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- shining brightly; sparkling; glittering; lustrous: the brilliant lights of the city.
- distinguished; illustrious: a brilliant performance by a young pianist.
- having or showing great intelligence, talent, quality, etc.: a brilliant technician.
- strong and clear in tone; vivid; bright: brilliant blues and greens; the brilliant sound of the trumpets.
- splendid or magnificent: a brilliant social event.
noun
- Jewelry. a gem, especially a diamond, having any of several varieties of the brilliant cut.
- Printing. a size of type about 3½-point.
adjective
- shining with light; sparkling
- (of a colour) having a high saturation and reflecting a considerable amount of light; vivid
- outstanding; exceptionala brilliant success
- splendid; magnificenta brilliant show
- of outstanding intelligence or intellecta brilliant mind; a brilliant idea
- music
- (of the tone of an instrument) having a large proportion of high harmonics above the fundamental
- Also: brilliant (French brijɑ̃), brilliante (French brijɑ̃t)with spirit; lively
noun
- Also called: brilliant cut
- a popular circular cut for diamonds and other gemstones in the form of two many-faceted pyramids (the top one truncated) joined at their bases
- a diamond of this cut
- (formerly) a size of a printer’s type approximately equal to 4 point
1680s, from French brilliant “sparkling, shining” present participle of briller “to shine” (16c.), from Italian brillare “sparkle, whirl,” perhaps from Vulgar Latin *berillare “to shine like a beryl,” from berillus “beryl, precious stone,” from Latin beryllus (see beryl). In reference to diamonds (1680s) it means a flat-topped cut invented 17c. by Venetian cutter Vincenzo Peruzzi.