I. ˈbrilyənt adjective
Etymology: French brillant, present participle of briller to shine, sparkle, from Italian brillare, from brillo beryl, from Latin beryllus beryl — more at beryl
1.
a. : sparkling with luster : very bright : glittering
a brilliant star
a brilliant light
his eyes were brilliant with pain — Elinor Wylie
a hot, cloudless, brilliant morning — Kenneth Roberts
b. : markedly rich or conspicuous in quality: as
(1) of color : strong and light
a brilliant red
(2) of a musical tone : bright, clear, and ringing : rich in high harmonics
2.
a. : striking , illustrious , distinguished
a brilliant career
a series of brilliant exploits
a brilliant victory
b. : distinguished by unusual mental keenness, alertness, originality, or resourcefulness
clever, witty, brilliant and sparkling beyond most of her kind — Rudyard Kipling
a brilliant scholar who has made himself a gifted educator — Ordway Tead
the prosecutor's brilliant argument and summation
3.
[by shortening]
: brilliant-cut
Synonyms: see bright , intelligent
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: French brillant, from brillant, adjective
1. : a diamond or other gem cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have especial brilliancy, ordinarily today cut in two pyramids placed base to base, the upper, usually with 56 facets, truncated comparatively near its base by the table, the lower, usually with 24 facets, having only the apex cut off to form the culet around which eight extra facets are sometimes added — compare bezel , crown , double brilliant , girdle , pavilion , single brilliant , table , twentieth-century cut
2. : an old size of type (approximately 3 1/2 point) smaller than diamond — compare point system