brilliant 
brilliant (bril'yant), . anil w. [< V. Ill-Want 
(E. -Hi- = -ly-, repr. the former sound of P. -11-), 
ppr. of briller = Pr. Sp. brillar = Pg. brilhar = 
It. brillare, glitter, sparkle, < ML. as if "beril- 
lare, sparkle like a beryl or other precious 
stone, < L. berillus, beri/Uits, a beryl, gem, eye- 
glass; ef. It. dial, brill, a beryl, ML. Mllum, 
an eyeglass, > G. Mile, D. Ml, spectacles: see 
beryl.'] I. a. 1. Sparkling with light or luster; 
glittering; bright: as, a brilliant gem; a Ml- 
liant dress. 
A current of electricity is ... capable of stimulating 
the optic nerve in such a way that brilliant colours are 
perceived, although the experiment is made in perfect 
darkness. Rood, Modern Chromatics, p. 95. 
2. Figuratively, distinguished by admirable 
qualities; splendid; shining: as, abrilliant wit; 
a brilliant achievement. 
Washington was more solicitous to avoid fatal mistakes 
than to perform brilliant exploits. Ames. 
The Austrians were driven back [at Goito] with heavy 
loss, the issue of the battle being decided by a brilliant 
charge of the Cuueo brigade, commanded by the C'rown 
Prince in person. E. Dicey, Victor Emmanuel, p. 83. 
=Syn. 1. Lustrous, radiant, effulgent, resplendent, showy, 
conspicuous. 2. Illustrious, notable. 
II. . [Cf. F. brillant, a diamond.] 1. The 
form in which the diamond and other precious 
stones are cut when intended to be used as or- 
naments, whenever the shape and cleavage of 
the uncut stone allow this to be done without 
too much loss of material. The brilliant is suscep- 
tible of many small modifications as regards the size, pro- 
portions, and even the number of the facets ; but in the 
most perfect cut there are 58 facets. The general shape of 
all brilliants is that of two pyramids united at their bases, 
the upper one being so truncated as to give a large plane 
FIG-. 1 
684 
and is formed liy removing one third of the thickness of the 
stone ; the opposite small end, called the culet or cnllet, 
is formed by removing one eighteenth of the thickness of 
the stone. The girdle is the widest part, and forms the 
junction-line between the upper part, called the crown, 
and the lower part, called the pavilion. Fig. 2 shows the 
top (a), side (b), and back (e) views of a modern brilliant 
cut with 58 facets. T is the table ; C, the culet ; O, the 
girdle; A, the templets or bezels (of which there are 4 in 
all) ; B, the upper quoins or lozenges (of which there are 
4) ; S, star-facets (of which there are 8 in the crown) ; E, 
skill- or half-facets (8 in the crown and the same number 
in the pavilion) ; D, cross- or skew-facets (8 in each part) ; 
P, pavilion-facets (4 in number) ; Q, lower or under-side 
quoins (of which there are 4) making 58 facets in all. 
Sometimes extra facets are cut around the culet, making 
68 in all. In tig. 3, a and b show top and side views of the 
single cut, or half brilliant ; c is a top view of the old Eng- 
lish single cut. In fig. 4, a, b, and c show top, side, and 
back views of a brilliant with 42 facets. In flg. 5, a, 6, and 
c show top, side, and back views of the split or double bril- 
liant, with 74 facets. In fig. 6, a, b, and c show top, side, 
and back views of the Portuguese cut, which has two rows 
uiMii'ii ruse, M nun inn - Kwjrau uuv tn mm 
more rows of triangular facets are added. Fig. 8 shows 
Fig. 8. Regent Diamond. ( Size of the original. ) 
the form and size of the famous Regent diamond, belong- 
ing to the government of France. It weighs 136J carats, 
and is generally considered the most valuable diamond 
known, having been estimated by experts at twelve mil- 
lion francs. It comes very near being a perfect brilliant 
in form, but is a little too thick or deep for its breadth, 
while the Koh-i-noor, as cut since it came into the posses- 
sion of the Queen of England, is too thin or spread. Any 
gem may be cut in brilliant form ; but when the word bril- 
liant is used by itself, it is always understood to mean a 
diamond. 
2. The smallest regular size of printing-type, 
about 20 lines to the inch, very rarely used. 
Thii line U ut i 
surface, the lower one terminating almost in a point. The 
manner in which the brilliant is derived from the funda- 
mental octahedral form (a in ng. 1) is shown in fig. 1, b 
and c. The uppermost large flat surface is called the table, 
3. In the manege, a brisk, high-spirited horse, 
with stately action. 4. A bright light used 
in fireworks. 5. A cotton fabric with a raised 
pattern figured in the loom, and with or with- 
out a design in colors Double brilliant, or Lis- 
bon cut, a form with two rows of lozenge-shaped squares 
and three rows of triangular facets. Half-brilliant cut, 
the most simple form of the brilliant cut (see above), very 
generally employed for stones which are too small to ad- 
mit of numerous facets. Trap-brilliant, or split-bril- 
liant, a form differing from the full brilliant in having 
the foundation squares divided horizontally into two tri- 
angular facets, forming an obtuse angle when viewed in 
elevation (see above). 
brilliantly (bril'yant-li), adv. In a brilliant 
manner; splendidly. 
One of these [banners] is most brilliantly displayed. 
T. Warton, Hist. Eng. Poetry, II. 56. 
brilliantness (bril'yant-nes), n. The state or 
quality of being brilliant ; . brilliancy ; splen- 
dor; glitter. 
brilliolette, brillolette (bril-yo-lef, -o-let'), 
n. [F. brillolette, < brill-ant, brilliant, -t- -alette. 
See briolette.~\ Same as briolette. 
brills (brilz), n. pi. [Cf. G. Mile, D. bril, spec- 
tacles: see brilliant."] The hair on the eyelids 
of a horse. 
brim 1 !, [ME. Mm, < AS. Mm, the sea, 
ocean, flood (= Icel. Mm, sea, surf), orig. per- 
haps the (roaring) surf, < "brimman, strong 
verb, > bremman, weak verb, roar (see brim 3 ), 
= MHG. brimmen, strong verb (> brummen, 
weak verb, G. brummen = D. brommen, hum, 
buzz, growl, grumble); cf. OHG. breman, MHG. 
bremen, strong verb, roar, buzz, = L. fremere, 
roar, rage, = Gr. jipefieiv, roar, > /Jp^of, a roar- 
ing, esp. of waves, = Skt. \/ bhram, wander, 
whirl, flutter, be agitated. Hence comp. brim- 
!<?.] The sea; ocean; water; flood. 
In middes the brig was ouer the brim. 
Legends of the Holy Rood (ed. Morris), p. 125.' 
He . . . lepith dune into the brimme. 
Early Eng. Poems (ed. Furnivall), p. 150. 
brim 2 (brim), n. [< ME. Mm, brem, brym, 
brimme, brymme, margin, esp. of a river, lake, 
or sea (= MHG. brem, border, brim, G. dial. 
(Bav.) bram, border, stripe, G. bramc, brame, 
border, edge, > F. berme, E. berm, q. v. ; cf. 
Icel. barmr = Sw. bram = Dan. brasmme, border, 
edge, brim); usually explained as a particular 
use of ME. brim, < AS. brim t the sea, ocean, the 
sea as surf (hence brink, brim): see ftnw 1 .] 1. 
brimful 
A brink, edge, or margin; more especially, the 
line of junction between a body of water and 
its bank, or between the bank and the adjoin- 
ing level : as, to descend to the brim of a lake ; 
the river is full to the brim. 
There is a cliff [at Dover] : . . . 
Bring me but to the very brim of it. 
Shak., Lear, iv. 1. 
By dimpled brook and fountain brim. 
Milton, Comus, 1. 119. 
New stars all night above the brim 
Of waters lighten'd into view ; 
They climb'd as quickly, for the rim 
Changed every moment as we flew. 
Tennyson, Voyage, st. 4. 
2. The upper edge of anything hollow: as, the 
brim of a cup. 
He froth'd his bumpers to the brim. 
Tennyson, Death of the Old Year. 
3. A projecting edge, border, or rim round any- 
thing hollow: as, the brim of a hat. 
And therefore would he put his bonnet on, 
Under whose brim the gaudy sun would peep. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 1088. 
Should the heart closer shut as the bonnet grows prim, 
And the face grow in length as the hat grows in brim? 
Whittier, The Quaker Alumni. 
Brim of the pelvis, in anat. , the upper orifice or inlet of 
the pelvis, formed by the upper border of the symphysis 
pubis, the iliopectineal line of each ilium, and the prom- 
ontory of the sacrum. =Syn. Seerwn. 
brim 2 (brim), v. ; pret. and pp. brimmed, ppr. 
brimming. [< brim' 2 , n."] I. trans. To fill to the 
brim, upper edge, or top. 
One brave June morning, when the bluff north-west . . . 
Brimmed the great cup of heaven with sparkling cheer. 
Lowell, Under the Willows. 
I drink the cup of a costly death, 
Brimm'd with delirious draughts of warmest life. 
Tennyson, Eleanore, st. 8. 
II. intrans. 1. To be full to the brim : as, a 
brimming glass. 2. To coast along near; skirt. 
[Bare.] 
Where I brim round flowery islands. Keats. 
To brim over, to run over the brim ; overflow : often used 
in a figurative sense. 
He was also absolutely brimming over with humour. 
Edinburgh Rev. 
brim 3 (brim), r. i. ; pret. and pp. brimmed, ppr. 
brimming. [Early mod. E. brimme, < ME. brt/m- 
men, be in heat, orig. roar (cf. ruft for a simi- 
lar development of sense): see brim^.J To be 
in heat, as a boar or sow. [Prov. Eng.] 
Now bores gladly brymmeth. 
Palladiui, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 98. 
brim 4 t (brim), a. [Early mod. E. also breeme, 
breme, < ME. brim, brym, brem, brimme, brymme, 
and with orig. long vowel, bryme, breme, < AS. 
breme, bryme, ONorth. broeme, celebrated, fa- 
mous.] 1. Famous; celebrated; well known; 
notorious. Warner. 2. Violent; fierce; terri- 
ble ; sharp. 
The noyse of peple up stirte thanne at ones 
As breme as blase of straw iset on fyre. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 155. 
Thistles thikke 
And brerea brymme for to prikke. 
Bom. of the Rose, 1. 1835. 
And now sith these tidings haue come hither so brim of 
y great Turks enterprise into these partes here, we can 
almost neither talke nor thinke of any other thing ela. 
Sir T. More, Cumfort against Tribulation (1578), fol. 3. 
I also heard a violent storm described as very brim, a 
word which I had supposed to be obsolete in this sense. 
If. and Q., 7th ser., II. 268. 
3. Strong; powerful. 
The child . . . was a big barn, & breme of his age. 
William of Palerne, 1. 18. 
4. Sharp; acute. 
And of the stones and of the sterres thow studyest, as I 
leue, 
How euere beste or brydde hath so breme wittes. 
Piers Plowman (B), xii. 224. 
brim 5 (brim), . [Appar. a var. of bream 1 .'] A 
fish of the family Centrarchidai, the long-eared 
sunfish, Lepomis auritus. 
brim 6 (brim), n. [Appar. a var. of brine 2 , q. 
v. Cf. Sc. brime = E. brine^.~] The forehead. 
[North. Eng.] 
brime (brim), n. A Scotch form of brine 1 . 
brimflllt (brim'fil), v. t. [< brinft + filll.] To 
fill to the top. Crasliaw. 
brimfiret, [ME. brimfir, brin fire, < brin- (< 
brinncn, brennen, burn) -1- fire, fire. Cf. briin- 
xtoiie.'] Sulphur. 
Towarde Sodome he sag the roke 
And the briitjircs stinken smoke. 
Gfnrsis and Exodus, 1. 1153. 
brimful (brim'ful'), " [< ftn'm 2 +///.] Full 
to the brim or top ; completely full : rarely used 
attributively: as, a glass brimful of "wine; 
" brimful of sorrow," Shak., Tempest, v. 1 ; -'her 
