Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A highly polished, convex-cut, unfaceted gem.
- n. A convex style of cutting gems.
- adv. In a highly polished, convex-cut, unfaceted style: a sapphire that was cut cabochon.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A polished but uncut precious stone.
Wiktionary
- n. A convex-cut, polished stone.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Jewelry) A stone of convex form, highly polished, but not faceted; also, the style of cutting itself. Such stones are said to be cut
en cabochon . - adj. (Jewelry) Of, pertaining to, containing, or in the style of, a cabochon.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a highly polished gem that is cut convexly but without facets
Etymologies
- Borrowed from French cabochon, augmentative form of caboche ("head"), from Old French caboce, from Latin caput ("head"). (Wiktionary)
- French, from Old North French, augmentative of caboche, head; see cabbage. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“If the material is to be left in some one of the flat-backed, rounded top forms known as cabochon cut, the surfaces need only to be smoothed (by means of very fine abrasives such as fine emery applied by means of laps, or even by fine emery or carborundum cloth), and they are then ready for polishing.”
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public
“Now, the company cherished for its bold use of colored stones, cabochon cuts and serpentine coils is making its brashest move yet: a merger with French luxury giant LVMH.”
“When you think of a cabochon sapphire, you don't think of a helmet, yet that's what the shape is inspired by.”
“Before digging into a lobster napoleon, Ms. Chao mingled among some of her masterpieces: a choker with the weight of 36.64 marquise cut diamonds, a crimson rose butterfly made of 9.45 carats of cabochon cut ruby.”
The Wall Street Journal: At Fancy Parties, Bling Is on the Upswing
“Chanel classic flap bag in satin embroidered with glass cabochon jewels, €4,500 On the grounds that Chanel is still possibly the world's most desirable brand, this ritzy number flies in the face of conventional wisdom that less is more.”
“A single cabochon emerald on a long golden chain hung between her breasts and added green to her eyes.”
“It was a heavy gold circlet, set with a cabochon ruby.”
“It is fashioned out of a silk plain weave, gold-metallic thread weave, a cabochon turquoise and egret feathers.”
“Thomas began initially for himself, working in copper and sterling silver with semi-precious cabochon (unfaceted) stones, broadening his oeuvre into gold and precious gems.”
““Fass,” fiss or fuss; the gem set in a ring; also applied to a hillock rounded en cabochon.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘cabochon’.
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Another 250 Spelling Words
Another range of words from the intermediate to the advanced speller's level.
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phrontistery - c
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
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smoooth
satined, sleek, glossy, legato, uncrannied, suave, smoothen, polish, satiny, flowing, levigate, politic and 78 more...
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Williamsburg Spelling Bee
conusable, murenger, ohmmeter, quincunx, schipperke, mephitis, acharya, dysthymia, firkin, ciborium, fusillade, quinquennially and 23 more...
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nachchba's Words
stentorian, blasé, ennui, concinnity, melee, photokeratitis, skiffle, refulgence, mongrel, fakir, caid, eudaimonia and 215 more...
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new words!
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wanderstar's Words
superlative, mulish, mumps, catatonic, aquiline, clandestine, phantasmagoria, chryselephantine, microfiche, mutineer, reprobate, ruthless and 312 more...
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Vocabulary
Words I come across while reading.
talus, echelon, onanistic, cabochon, avocation, charnel, moue, portentous, prolixity, astringent, hoary, patina and 165 more...
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azd's Words
adamantine, abatial, ablate, ablative, abrogate, accretive, acromegaly, acrostic, actinism, actinic, acuity, adduce and 968 more...
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cutting words
sarcasm, sarx, sarcoptic, syssarcosis, shrew, shrewd, screed, scred, shroud, scroll, scrod, scrutiny and 326 more...
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tomax's Words
legerdemain, yayo, extravasation, wont, faze, coxswain, concomitant, enclave, unguent, rhabdomyolysis, effluent, puerile and 432 more...
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rich words
auburn, aureole, relic, reliquary, aureate, umber, lyric, elegy, requiem, jacinth, sable, penumbra and 95 more...
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srboisvert's Words
couverture, poffertjes, naif, endermatic, prepense, aspic, otalgia, curettage,, florid, piffling, pillock, mow and 164 more...
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5-0
Hecko, words! I’m so happy I’ve found you. I want to keep you all and never want to lose you again. I hope you like it here.
amscray, thistledown, tine, tinsel, pungent, snarl, wail, lanky, viscid, dawdle, luminous, stow and 2719 more...
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Clearinghouse
For stuff to simply reside.
calcar, pinion, espadrille, antipodes, peregrine, cormorant, tanager, vireo, farrago, undervest, passerine, oscine and 881 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for cabochon.

reesetee Yes, I'm pretty sure it is, yarb. Nov 12, 2007
yarb I wonder if it is related via cabbage with spanish cabeza (head)? Nov 12, 2007
chained_bear No, reesetee, now I'll just think of purple cabbage. :) Nov 11, 2007
jennarenn Actually, uncut cabbage will last for about a month in the fridge. ;) Nov 11, 2007
reesetee I like this word because it comes from the same root as cabbage, and the original meaning was "head." It makes me think of a giant cabbage head.
And now I've completely spoiled it for you, c_b. Nov 11, 2007
chained_bear I always think of this in combination with "ruby," probably because that's how I encountered it the first time. Nov 11, 2007